BOSTON – An SUV crashed into the pumps at ALFA Auto Fuel in Roslindale on Tuesday night, causing an explosion and sparking chaos as customers scrambled for safety. The gas station owner, Gloria Nantas, who has been at the station for 43 years, expressed her shock, saying she had never witnessed such an event in her life.
Nantas’s eldest son, Arthur, sprang into action, using a fire extinguisher to control the flames before the fire suppression system turned the whole parking lot white. “He was shaking,” Nantas said, relieved that her son acted quickly to contain the situation. The chaos was captured on the gas station’s surveillance camera as the white SUV crashed into two parked vehicles.
Following the incident, the Boston Police Department reported that the driver mistakenly believed the car was in park when she stepped on the accelerator, leading to the collision. The crash caused major consequences for several customers, including Maureen Roman, whose recently fixed silver Toyota was now totaled, leaving her without a vehicle. Despite the material damage, Nantas expressed gratitude that no one was hurt in the accident. She emphasized the potential danger if there had been customers pumping gas on either side, warning that the outcome could have been fatal.
Looking ahead, Nantas is aiming to reopen the three working pumps by Friday morning, but she anticipates the damage could cost the gas station upwards of $100,000. The unexpected financial burden adds to the impact of the incident, as the station works to recover from the aftermath of the crash.