Speedway fuel mix-up leaves dozens of drivers stranded, state inspection underway

A fuel mix-up at a Wake Forest gas station left dozens of drivers stranded, facing repair bills and scrambling for transportation after unknowingly pumping diesel fuel into their vehicles.

The incident happened June 2 at the Speedway located at Capital Boulevard and Wall Road. For the past week, Brenda Small has been driving a rental car after she was left stranded along with 23 other drivers.

According to state inspectors, diesel fuel was mistakenly delivered into a storage tank intended for regular gasoline. Customers unknowingly filled their vehicle before the problem was identified.

Drivers say fuel mix-up left them stranded and stuck with unexpected costs

"The guy put the diesel in the wrong tank in the ground, so we're all pumping what we thought was 87," Small said. "We were pumping diesel in our vehicles."

Photos taken by Small showed disabled vehicles scattered across the gas station parking lot.

Small said Speedway representatives agreed to cover towing costs and vehicle repairs related to the fuel contamination. However, she says the company declined to reimburse her for a rental car or transportation expenses she incurred after her vehicle became disabled.

She also alleges a company representative warned her that involving an attorney could complicate the repair process.

"I said, 'I do contact a lawyer to get the rest of it taken care of,'" Small recalled. "She said, 'If you speak with a lawyer, then we will not be able to speak with you anymore, and then it'll hold your vehicle up from being repaired even longer.'"

Frustrated and looking for answers, Small contacted WRAL's 5 On Your Side.

"That's why I contacted y'all," she said.

Drivers affected by the mix-up say they were simply trying to fill up their vehicles and get home.

"This was no fault of none of ours," Small said. "We were getting gas. Everyone was planning on going home after they got their gas. Didn't happen like that."

WRAL reached out multiple times to Speedway and its parent company, 7-Eleven, by phone and email, asking what happened, how many vehicles were affected and whether customers would be compensated for expenses beyond vehicle repairs. Neither company responded by deadline.

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said they were not made aware of the situation until WRAL encouraged affected customers to file formal complaints, triggering a state investigation.

On Monday, state inspector Valerie Thoms tested the fuel at the station to ensure the contamination had been fully removed.

"We want to make sure that the cleanup job has been sufficient enough," the inspector said.

This is not the first fuel contamination case investigated by 5 On Your Side. About a year and a half ago, a similar incident at a Refuel gas station in Apex left drivers with damaged vehicles. Following WRAL's reporting, affected customers were ultimately offered lifetime coverage for repairs related to the contamination.

WRAL will continue following this story and pressing for answers on behalf of affected drivers.