Witnesses in JB say they thought fuel pump would explode after SG-registered car allegedly drove off with fuel nozzle still intact

JOHOR BAHRU: A video of a wrecked fuel pump in Johor Bahru went viral over the weekend, with a car registered in Singapore said to be responsible for it.

The 15-second clip, shared by 陈紫欣 on the JB 新山吹水站2.0 Facebook group page on Saturday (Oct 18), shows the substantial damage sustained by the fuel pump unit. One of the front panels of the pump had fallen off, and the unit itself can be seen leaning precariously on its side.

According to the post author, the silver Toyota Camry involved in the incident had been filling up with fuel at a Shell station on Skudai Highway in Johor Bahru past 10 p.m. The car’s number plate can clearly be seen in the photos and videos in the post.

陈紫欣 had been in another vehicle with her parents to get fuel as well when they heard a loud crashing noise. When they turned to look at what had caused it, they saw that a car was beginning to drive away with the fuel nozzle still in the car. However, having heard the noise, the driver stopped and alighted from the vehicle.

Seeing what had happened, a female attendant from the Shell station came out to make sure the driver of the vehicle did not leave.

The incident frightened the post author and their parents, causing them to drive away quickly because they feared there might be an explosion. Another car can also be seen quickly leaving the fuel station.

Commenters on the post asked if the driver of the Singapore-registered vehicle had been taking RON95 fuel, which is heavily subsidised by the Malaysian government and is only for its citizens.

It could have been a lot worse

It’s fortunate that in the incident at the Shell station in JB on Saturday night, only the fuel pump unit appears to have been destroyed. More importantly, no one was injured during the mishap.

At best, the driver of the Singapore-registered car will only have to pay the bill for repairing the unit, though there could be other consequences, legal or otherwise, to their careless actions.

If their car sustained damage, they will also need to spend on that.

At worst, someone could have got hurt if the severed nozzle had gone flying, if there had been a fuel spill, or if a fire had started, as the post author and her parents feared. /TISG

Read also: Singapore-registered vehicle detained at Johor Bahru checkpoint for suspected illegal cross-border service