What to Know
- Ocean Township police said 13 vehicles were affected and at least 12 drivers filed complaints after getting the tainted gas from the Sunoco
- Cops said a "significant amount of water" was found in the tanks, which will be emptied and inspected several times before they get new fuel
- Sunoco said in a statement it is aware of the issue and working closely with its operating dealer and local and state authorities
A batch of bad gasoline pumped into an underground tank at a New Jersey station disabled more than a dozen cars, in some cases leaving the engines smoking, police say.
Ocean Township police said 13 vehicles were affected and at least 12 drivers filed complaints after getting the tainted gas from Sunoco on Route 35 at Sunset Avenue.
Lt. Timothy Torchia told NJ.com the cars had become disabled after the gas was pumped: "The cars became bogged down and they needed to pull off the road."
Torchia said the bad batch was delivered just before 7 a.m. Wednesday, and drivers began experiencing problems after that.
"It's not a criminal matter or anything like that," he said, adding he had no other reporters of contaminated fuel at other gas stations.
Police said a "significant amount of water" was found in the gas tanks, which will be emptied and inspected several times before new fuel is pumped in. The station was shut down as authorities investigate the cause of the contamination.
Local
Anyone with car problems due to the gasoline issue should call 1-800-Sunoco1 to make a claim or obtain more information.
Sunoco said in a statement it is aware of the issue and working closely with its operating dealer and local and state authorities on the investigation.
"We believe that this is an isolated incident and the recent heavy rains may have been a contributing factor in this situation," the statement said. "The fuel pumps at this station are currently closed as we institute a number of testing and tank cleansing procedures to ensure fuel quality meets and exceeds specifications."
