Her Lamborghini was on fire. She asked: 'Do you want to have a video call and take a look?'

What would you do if your car caught on fire? 

For Carol Sek, a family wealth specialist with Unicorn Financial Solutions, the answer was simple: stay calm and let her friends and family know she was safe.

In a video posted to the company's Instagram and TikTok on Tuesday (Aug 4), Sek recounted how her Lamborghini Gallardo caught fire while she was driving on the East Coast Parkway (ECP) on July 23.

Videos of the incident showed her bright green car ablaze, while the Land Transport Authority reported heavy traffic along the ECP following the incident.

Sek said that her first instinct was to make a call to a man, whose identity was not revealed, and let him know that she was safe.

Her next instinct was to ask if he wanted to see the fire.

"It's such an experience. Do you want to have a video call and take a look?"

According to Sek, firefighters and first responders arrived shortly after her Lamborghini caught fire, and the situation was resolved within 10 to 15 minutes.

In response to AsiaOne's queries that day, the Singapore Civil Defence Force said the fire, which involved the engine compartment of the car, was extinguished by firefighters using a water jet.

No injuries were reported.

@asiaone Carol Sek, a family wealth specialist at Unicorn Financial Solutions, recounted what happened after the green Lamborghini Gallardo she was driving caught fire along the East Coast Parkway (ECP) on July 23. #sgnews #Singapore #Fire #Lamborghini ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

'Must stay calm'

Addressing questions about how she remained relaxed during the ordeal, Sek said it was an intentional choice. 

"(An) unpleasant thing happened. No one wants it. (But) there's no reason for me to let this unpleasantness destroy the rest of my day, right?"

She said that she felt "loved" and that her friends were "all very nice", telling her they would wait to celebrate her new car with her.

On what advice she has for others in the same situation, Sek said: "Must stay calm."

She also suggested that those who drive should have an emergency window breaker and to learn how to use it. 

Mixed reactions from netizens

The videos, posted on Unicorn's and Sek's social media accounts, have garnered more than 300,000 views combined.

Several social media users, including her colleagues, left comments saying they were impressed by her composure.

Pamela Esguerra and Ma Xiaoqing, who both work at Unicorn, said in their respective comment that her resilience and positive mindset are what would shape her future.

At the same time, there were netizens who suggested that her responses and reactions were influenced by her financial circumstances.

"Rich people is rich people. Her friends are waiting to celebrate her new car," wrote one netizen.

Another user wrote: "Wah so nice to be rich, zero stress. All taken care of and many supporters."

Multiple netizens took issue with her seemingly carefree attitude and the way she made light of the situation, with one emphasising that the incident caused "a massive traffic jam at ECP" for several hours.

Ending off the post, Unicorn wrote in its caption: "We learned one thing from her (Sek) for sure: The ride of her life was not her Gallardo. 

"When you surround yourself with the right people, the best ride is yet to come."

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dana.leong@asiaone.com 

editor@asiaone.com