A delivery driver accidentally put thousands of gallons of diesel fuel in a gas station tank holding regular unleaded Saturday, leaving dozens of customers with engine problems.
The mix-up occurred about 10:30 a.m. at the BP in the 1300 block of U.S. 29 in Newnan, according to Green Oil Inc., a Fairburn gasoline wholesaler that owns the gas station.
More than 50 vehicles were impacted, said John Cook, Green Oil’s director of wholesale operations.
“We got a case of human error,” he told AJC.com on Wednesday. “The driver dropped the wrong product into the wrong tank.”
Sales were shut down for three to four hours after the problem was discovered, Cook said. The gas tank in question was cleaned.
About 2,000 gallons of diesel went into a tank that already held about 6,000 gallons of regular unleaded.
Some drivers had issues before they left the station, Cook said. Others left but didn’t get far.
“It won’t do any real damage to your motor,” Cook said of putting diesel in a gasoline engine.
However, it can cause fuel injector problems, according to online information.
Fallout from the botched delivery continues. Cook said he received 10 calls Wednesday, forwarding them to the company’s insurer.
Anyone affected by the mix-up is asked to call Cook at 770-964-6125.
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