Canadian motorists got diesel, not gas

CALGARY, Alberta, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- There were about 500 unhappy Canadian motorists on Boxing Day when a mix-up left them with diesel in their cars instead of gasoline, a station spokeswoman said.

Karen Allen, spokeswoman for the Co-op service station in Calgary, Alberta, said a delivery mistake led to customers pumping diesel fuel into their tanks instead of gasoline, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Wednesday.

"We had a customer who had had some difficulty with their vehicle," Allen said. "They took it into the repair shop, who discovered the problem right away. They phoned us immediately, and we immediately shut down our pumps, started to investigate what the issue might be and then came to that conclusion."

Allen said Co-op had spoken with most of the drivers involved and would cover the costs of any repairs and car rentals.