QUINCY, Mass. — An accident at a Quincy gas station on Tuesday activated a fire suppressant system, leading to a huge mess.
A car backed up into a fuel pump at the Prestige gas station at 9 Franklin St. around 4:30 p.m.
No injuries were reported.
Moments after the crash, a fire suppressant system released a powder across the air, making it look like it was snowing.
"As we were over here trying to extract people from their vehicles that’s when the expellant released," said Quincy Deputy Fire Chief Tim Burchill.
One witness driving a blue SUV spoke with Boston 25 News shortly after the crash. The woman, who was pulling in to get gas on her way from work, asked not to be identified.
“I heard a big boom on the side of my car. I looked and the gas pump was leaning on my car," she said.
She said a gold car started a chain reaction of events.
“There was a guy pumping on the other side. He got hit. He was down on the ground," she said.
Burchill said an elderly driver accidentally put his vehicle in reverse.
As firefighters pulled that driver from the car, the suppressant system went off. That usually doesn't happen unless there's a fire.
"This was the first unexpected one. Everybody was a little surprised," said Burchill.
Two police officers, a firefighter and a pedestrian breathed in the powder. They, along with the elderly driver, were sent to the hospital with minor injuries.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Police advised motorists to avoid the area, as some streets were blocked off as emergency responders worked the scene.
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