Drivers Fill Up With Wrong Fuel After Delivery Mix-Up
Company Says It Will Pay For Repairs To Damaged Vehicles

POSTED: 6:13 pm EDT June 22, 2007
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EPPING, N.H. -- Dozens of drivers who filled up at an Epping gas station over the weekend filled their tanks with diesel fuel instead of unleaded gas because of a delivery error, gas station officials said.

The station said that about 30 people filled up at a Getty Station on Route 125 on Saturday. Earlier that morning, a delivery driver mistakenly filled the unleaded tank with diesel and the diesel tank with unleaded.

"We started receiving reports of people's cars malfunctioning after they fueled up," Epping Police Officer Michael Wallace said.

Driver Gary Moran said that his car started having problems soon after he filled the tank.

"The car made it to the house a mile and half away and sputtered in the driveway, and then it never ran again," Moran said.

Some customers reported engines knocking, while others said the car stopped moving altogether.

"We bought a new car because we didn't want any problems," Moran said. "We even bought a seven-year bumper-to-bumper package with it because we didn't want these problems, but here we are."

Moran's car had to be towed and overhauled, with a new gas tank, fuel pump and other repairs.

A Getty spokesman called the problem an "unfortunate accident," and the company promised to take care of repair costs in full. Some customers said they were satisfied with the company's actions, saying that mistakes happen.

"I come here all the time, and they're usually very good, and if something happened, it was an accident," customer Barbara MacDonald said.

The company said that when the station realized there was a problem, it shut down the pumps and flushed the tanks and lines.

Those who believe they filled their tanks with the wrong gas can call the Getty help line at 401-434-1322, ext. 253.

Copyright 2007 by WMUR. t