LAFAYETTE, La. — Ben Langlinais says his wife did not make it very far from the gas station before her car died on Thursday morning.
"She got to the median on Pinhook, half a mile away before the car sputtered, I guess the water started to get into the system" Langlinais said.
He says their 2020 GMC Terrain died only half a mile from the Mobil gas station on Verot School Road. Once they were able to tow it to a dealership, they were told their gas was 95% water.
"I know fuel and water don't mix, so it was probably was running on the fuel portion. The intake must be on the high part of the tank. So it was sucking up all the fuel until it got to the water, by that point it's too late, everything is trashed" Langlinais said.
Johnny Milazzo, the President of Lard Oil Company, says it was a cap on a tank that caused the issue. Milazzo explained, it was not sealed correctly, allowing water into the gas tank.
"When it collects water, sometimes you don't know it until the consumer tells you" Milazzo said.
Milazzo says the pumps were turned off immediately as the issue was fixed. The owner of the station is working with drivers who were affected.
Langlinais says it cost more than $1,200 in damages.
"Who knows how many people are still stranded not realizing what happened because they don't have the resources to get it to a garage to find out what is wrong. They could be blaming the car" Langlinais said.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, you can file a claim with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
