Family Pet Triggers Fiery Concord Gas Station Crash
CONCORD (CBS SF) -- A driver apparently distracted by a pet dog slammed into a pump at a Concord gas station Tuesday, igniting a fireball that consumed the vehicle.
The crash took place at around 5:40 p.m. at the Arco AM/PM market and gas at 3400 Willow Pass Road. Police told KPIX 5 that a driver had just filled up the vehicle and was pulling away from the pump, when they careened into another pump.
Authorities said the dog died in the crash and the people inside the car suffered minor burns but were expected to recover.
Juan Alcala had just filled up his truck at the station when he watched in shock as the incident unfolded.
"I saw this car just driving straight through and just slam into the pump," he told KPIX 5. "Initially, I thought he had hit me, but in reality he had just hit the pump and the pump went up in flames. It got super hot in there and everyone (at the station) began running all over."
He said when the occupants jumped out of the car, they were screaming about their dog.
"It (the crash) was caused by the dog," Alcala said. "The dog went underneath the pedals and when they were trying to reach him, they actually pressed on the gas while trying to get the dog and that's what caused the car to go into the pump they said."
As Alcala stood looking at the heavily damaged gas station, he told KPIX 5 he was still pretty shaken.
"It got pretty hot," he said. "(I was thinking) the pump was actually going to blow up. It (the pump) started chirping. Wires started to go off. It got pretty scary."
The crash remains under investigation.