BOSTON – A dramatic scene unfolded at ALFA Auto Fuel in Roslindale on Tuesday night when an SUV crashed into the gas pumps, triggering an explosion. The gas station owner, Gloria Nantas, expressed shock at the unprecedented event, noting that in her 43 years at the station, she had never witnessed anything like it.
The chaos was captured on surveillance cameras as Nantas’s eldest son, Arthur, rushed to the scene to extinguish the flames before the fire suppression system kicked in. The white SUV also collided with two parked vehicles, compounding the situation.
According to the Boston Police Department, the driver mistakenly believed the car was in park when she stepped on the accelerator, leading to the destructive crash. The consequences of the incident were significant, as one customer, Maureen Roman, lamented the loss of her recently repaired Toyota, which was now totaled.
Thankfully, there were no injuries reported, a fact that Nantas emphasized as a stroke of luck, given the potential for a far graver outcome had there been customers at the gas pumps.
In the aftermath of the crash, Nantas is striving to reopen the three functioning pumps by Friday morning, although the estimated damage may exceed $100,000.
The harrowing event left both the gas station owner and customers reeling from the unexpected and costly ordeal.