One island of gas pumps was closed Saturday night at the Shell station on the corner of Newark Boulevard and Jarvis Avenue after several drivers say they filled up and then broke down just minutes after pumping.
"As I’m sitting at the red light, the car just starts chugging, and it was unusual, and then the light turned green, I put my foot on the gas and got a little bit of acceleration and the engine just went," said Robin Mokry from Fremont.
Mokry said it happened to him just after 9 a.m. Saturday. As soon as he got out of his car, he was confronted by other drivers who also pumped regular unleaded gas at the Shell station and then experienced engine failure.
"I just got out of the car, and one of the guys comes up to me and goes, 'Did you just get gas across the street?' And I go 'yeah,'" he said.
The drivers began sharing notes, pictures and videos and even created a Facebook group.
Mokry said his mechanic tried to light the fuel he pulled out of the tank and it wouldn’t burn.
Another driver told NBC Bay Area the estimate for her repairs could top $13,000. She and Mokry said the gas station owner pledged to do the right thing and pay their mechanic bills.
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"You can appreciate from the people that are all affected, that it’s an inconvenience, right? And, we just want to get our cars repaired and back as soon as we can," said Mokry.
The gas station owner told NBC Bay Area that he will stand by that promise, adding that one of the underground tanks may have been damaged, allowing the gasoline to get contaminated.
He hopes to know by Monday.
