Chaos erupted at a Boston gas station when an SUV crashed into a fuel pump, causing an explosion that nearly set the establishment ablaze. The harrowing incident, which unfolded on Tuesday evening at Alfa Auto Fuel on Washington Street in Roslindale, was captured by surveillance cameras. The footage, as per Boston 25 News, shows the vehicle barreling into the pump and two parked cars, leading to a fiery outburst and immediate danger to those nearby.
Arthur Mantas, linked to the gas station's owning family, bravely rushed to combat the flames with a fire extinguisher. His efforts were backed by the station's fire suppression system, which quickly released a plume of retardant powder. "All of a sudden, I look up and hear boom [and] see huge flames," Mantas told Boston 25 News. He added, "[It] knocked me to my knees. I had to cross the street. I couldn't even breathe."
The unidentified driver of the Acura RDX managed to escape from her vehicle and was taken to the hospital with injuries deemed non-life-threatening. It was later revealed that she mistakenly believed the SUV was in park while attempting to put air in a tire. This critical error led to her hitting the accelerator unintentionally, causing the vehicle to launch forward into the pump and parked cars. As of yet, no charges have been filed in connection with the crash.
Reflecting on the gravity of the situation, Gloria Nantas, the gas station's owner since 1981, expressed disbelief at the destructive events to CBS Boston, saying, "I've never seen anything like this in my life." She also highlighted the fortunate absence of customers at the affected pumps, which likely averted a more tragic outcome. "Good thing there was no customer here pumping gas on either side, otherwise we would have had somebody dead last night," Nantas said.
Both the Nantas family and customers affected by the explosion are facing significant losses, with estimates of the damage exceeding $100,000. Despite the upheaval, the station is poised to partially reopen by Friday morning, hoping to resume operations at the three unaffected pumps. Among those impacted is Maureen Roman, whose newly repaired silver Toyota was totaled in the crash. "I saw my car, I was devastated, I started crying," she recounted to CBS Boston. "I'm not crying for my car. I'm crying because I need a car."
