ORANGE – Pumps at the Shell gas station at 167 Daniel Shays Highway were accidentally filled with diesel fuel over the weekend, leading to many disabled vehicles in the past couple of days and generating frustration and uncertainty among unsuspecting motorists.
Law enforcement agencies, various area automotive businesses and AAA have been fielding calls since Sunday morning from operators who have broken down while driving or have had vehicle issues after pumping at the gas station affiliated with a Honey Farms convenience store just off Route 2.
“There’s some hurt feelings right now,” Orange Police Chief James Sullivan said, adding that he has “never seen this before.”
Kathie Cremin, who manages towing operations at Dale’s Auto Body, Towing & Repair in Athol, said Monday the business had since 6:30 a.m. on Sunday received 15 calls from AAA regarding vehicles disabled due to being filled with diesel fuel.
Area mechanics said diesel fuel is thicker than gasoline and can wreak havoc on fuel injectors and fuel filters and can damage catalytic converters and engines if left in a vehicle long enough. Diesel belongs in tractors and vehicles specifically designed for it.
Belchertown resident Marion Miller told the Recorder she filled up her 2013 Subaru Outback at the gas station at around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday and within about 10 minutes “the car began to sputter and jerk and finally stopped” just as she had gotten onto a Route 2 on-ramp to try to get to an auto repair shop. She said she called AAA but it took three hours for a tow truck to arrive because AAA was flooded with calls of disabled vehicles in the area. Miller said she was at a repair shop Monday and she had filed an insurance claim, but she has no idea the damage that has been done.
“I’ve never heard of this happening. It’s a colossal mistake,” she said Monday. “We’ll see what happens.”
A gas station employee declined to comment on Monday. The Shell gas corporation and the Honey Farms corporate office did not respond to requests for comment by presstime Monday.
Miller mentioned her AAA tow truck driver brought her and the vehicle back to the Shell station at 167 Daniel Shays Highway, where the AAA driver encouraged her to get a receipt for the fuel she had pumped into her vehicle. She said the gas station employees seemed to be in “emergency mode” dealing with various customers whose vehicles had broken down. Miller said employees told her this situation would be handled at the corporate level.
Miller also said that while she waited for a tow, State Trooper William Christie from the Athol barracks stopped to assist her. Christie said the error at the gas station had since Sunday morning resulted in 10 to 12 calls of disabled vehicles in need of towing in his barracks’ patrol area.
Sullivan, the Orange police chief, said this is a civil matter, not a criminal one. He said people have called his station for advice on how to proceed and to get a log number for their insurance claim.
“It’s an issue that the business is going to have to correct,” he said.
Mike Farnum, manager at R&S Automotive at 420 East River St. in Orange, said the shop was consumed with 15 to 20 calls on Monday from motorists facing vehicle issues due to the mix-up. He recommends that anyone affected call their insurance company and “get the claim going.” He said his brother filled up at that Shell station on Sunday and his vehicle was blowing white smoke out of its exhaust pipe the following day. Farnum said each affected vehicle will need to be evaluated to determine the damage and the cost of repair, if the vehicle is salvageable.
“I’m going to try my best,” he said Monday. “I’ll do what I can to help everybody out that I can.”
Leslie Thompson, who has owned Leslie’s Garage at 312 East Main St. in Orange for 10 years, said Monday he had not received any calls regarding this incident but he expects some within the next day or so, having heard about the issue from customers.
“Your vehicle’s not going to run very long with diesel in it,” he said.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.