Driver Falls Asleep At Wheel, Hits Gas Pump at Larry Ng’s Gulf Station

Police responded to what could have been a fiery scene during the early morning hours July 11.

A motorist driving on Route 9 westbound crashed into a gas pump at Larry Ng’s Gulf Station before 2:15 a.m., according to a Wellesley Police announcement. The driver, who was uninjured, fell asleep at the wheel.

“The vehicle left the roadway just after , struck a light pole (bringing it down), and subsequently went through the parking lot to the Gulf station, where it struck the gas pump,” the announcement says.

Police say a concrete barrier in front of the gas pump prevented it from being seriously damaged, though Larry Ng, who owns the Gulf station and an across the street, said he will have to replace the pump.

Ng said based on the severity of the crash, it was amazing the driver was not harmed.

“He walked out without even a scratch,” he said in a phone interview Thursday. “The light pole was gone too. He walked home. He’s a lucky man. It’ll cost him a lot of money, but he’s lucky.”

The driver will be charged with negligent operation of a motor vehicle, according to police. The Gulf station was closed at the time of the incident.