Everyone loves free gas, but a recent promotional stunt in Australia proved that giving away fuel on a massive scale can quickly turn into a logistical nightmare. A $100,000 fuel giveaway in Melbourne caused such an intense frenzy among motorists that local police were forced to step in and shut the entire operation down after less than an hour.

A $100,000 Stunt Gone Wrong

The event, organized by a group called RS Rewards, took place at a petrol station in Truganina, Victoria. The premise was that customers would pull up to the pump and get your tank filled for free. However, given the current state of the economy and high pump prices, the promise of free liquid gold brought out an unmanageable crowd.

Aerial footage of the scene showed massive lines of cars completely gridlocking local intersections, with some motorists waiting for nearly an hour just to get close to the station.

Reporting directly from the chaotic scene, 9 News journalist Jack Ward described what was happening: “Police have just shut down a free fuel stunt here in Truganina this morning. RS Rewards were offering $100,000 worth of free fuel to motorists, and as you can see behind me, people went crazy.”

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Drivers were clearly desperate for the fuel. One motorist interviewed by 9 News admitted he rolled up to the line with his gas gauge already sitting below empty. Just as the line finally started to move, his car completely died. To make things even more crazy, in a bizarre moment, a group of people dressed in full Easter bunny costumes had to help physically push his stalled station wagon toward the pumps.

Other drivers were frustrated after waiting for almost an hour, only to be turned away when authorities deemed the massive traffic jam too dangerous. One driver admitted that the the current economy made the wait entirely worth the risk.

Shut Down After Just 57 Minutes

The event organizers quickly realized they had massively underestimated the public’s appetite for free fuel. Billy Beasley, a representative for RS Rewards, admitted that the situation outgrew their plans much faster than anticipated.

“It got a little bit out of hand. We didn’t expect this many people to show up,” Beasley explained to reporters. “We got roughly 57 minutes in, I think, and then the police came and shut it down. It’s completely fair enough. Some people were saying that we apparently shut down the East Link. That’s not good, and I don’t condone that.”

Despite the premature end to the promotion, they still gave away tens of thousands of Aussie dollars worth of gas.

“Organisers admit they were not prepared for this sort of turnout today,” Ward added in his report. “They say more than $70,000 worth of fuel has been put into vehicles.”

The organizers are reportedly going to host another giveaway in the future, though they have promised that the logistics and crowd control will look very different next time around.