Drivers Fill Up Tanks With Bad Gas

Bad gasoline, delivered to a Yorktown gas station earlier this week, caused damages to a few cars which had to be towed and fixed. 

Approximately 1,000 gallons of bad gas were delivered Monday morning to the Shell gas station on Route 202, said John Gaccione, acting director for the Westchester County Office of Consumer Protection. Anyone who filled up their gas tank Monday through Tuesday morning was affected. 

One Yorktown resident told Patch after he filled up his tank at the gas station, his new Honda Accord shut down. A Lincoln Titus Elementary School teacher's car also died out soon after having left the Shell gas station.

Tuesday morning Westchester County Department of Weights and Measures personnel visually inspected the purity of the gasoline sold and determined the gas was contaminated with water, Gaccione said. 

The gas station was forced to close down, remove the contaminated gas, test and purge its systems. After that they received a new delivery. County personnel inspected the gasoline again Wednesday morning. Gaccione said it is now safe to buy gasoline at the Shell gas station. 

He said they had received between five and 10 complaints as of Wednesday and were also aware that some people had gone back to the gas station to deal with the problem. 

"The station doesn't want to have a bad reputation," he said.

The gas station is expected to reimburse drivers for the purchase of the bad gas as well as any damages caused by the gas.

"If the customer has the receipt and can prove they got gas from here, we'll help them," supervisor at the gas station Fabian Vele said. 

If you think you may have purchased some of the bad gas, you should contact the Westchester County Office of Consumer Protection at 914-995-2164.