This is an unexpected news story. I’ve covered gasoline and diesel mix-ups at filling stations before. But often, a misfiring car tips off station attendants, and they shut down within hours or even minutes. A station in Riverton, Wyoming, may have been pumping gasoline cars full of diesel for three days.

How the incident unfolded

Here’s what we know. An anonymous driver contacted County 10 News. They had struggled with a poorly running car and traced the problem back to a fill-up on October 18 at the Loaf ’N Jug at 305 N. Federal Blvd. in Riverton, Wyoming. The local Ford dealership confirmed the tank was full of diesel and estimated repairs would cost $5,050.

County 10 ran the story and warned residents about the station. That’s when a second driver reached out. This person had fueled up on October 21. Loaf ’N Jug’s corporate owner had already acknowledged this second case, was footing the repair bill, and had offered this second driver a free rental car in the meantime.

Finally, County 10 spoke to a Ford dealership that said it was repairing one car that had been filled with diesel and was scheduled to tow in a second one.

Station response and warning signs

Loaf ’N Jug didn’t continue pumping diesel after the story ran. County 10 called the gas station as soon as it got the tip on October 23. The outlet confirmed that all non-diesel pumps were immediately turned off and that bags were placed over their nozzles. Still, it’s surprising no one caught the mix-up earlier. It’s unclear how many Wyoming cars were filled up and may experience issues.

As I’ve written before, there are a few ways to catch a gas station mix-up. Never pump a colored liquid into your gasoline vehicle — it’s usually kerosene or dyed diesel. Gasoline should be clear as water. Don’t pump an especially smelly liquid into a diesel vehicle. It’s probably the more volatile, and thus smelly, gasoline.