Around two dozen drivers were left stranded at a Speedway petrol station in Wake Forest, North Carolina, on 2 June after mistakenly filling their cars with diesel instead of regular petrol. The station had apparently stored diesel in an underground tank designated for standard fuel, according to local reports.
Customer Brenda Small described the incident to WRAL, saying: "This was no fault of none of ours. We were getting gas. Everyone was planning on going home after they got their gas. Didn't happen like that." She added that the fuel had been placed in the wrong tank, meaning drivers were "pumping what we thought was 87" but were actually receiving diesel. Some affected motorists, including Small, relied on rental vehicles while their cars underwent repairs.
Diesel is typically used in larger vehicles such as lorries and buses, and when it is put into a petrol engine it can prevent the car from starting and cause damage. The scale of the damage and the resulting repair costs depend on whether the engine had been switched on after refuelling. If the car remained off, mechanics may only need to drain and clean the fuel tank. If the engine was started, however, more extensive work such as flushing the fuel line or replacing parts could be required, costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services sent an inspector to the station to investigate the mix-up. State inspector Valerie Thoms said she was testing to ensure the regular fuel tank had been properly cleaned and that no diesel remained. "We want to make sure that the cleanup job has been sufficient enough," she said.
According to WRAL, a Speedway representative told Small that the company would reimburse her for towing and repairs but declined to cover the cost of her rental car and other transportation expenses. Speedway and its parent company, 7-Eleven, have been contacted for comment.
