A semi delivering new locking shopping carts to Walgreens hit a concrete island in Willow Glen Plaza at 3:53 p.m. on Feb. 22 . It spilled approximately 75 gallons of diesel fuel into the sewer drain, said San Jose Fire Department spokesman Alberto Olmos. The gas tank ruptured when the truck driver made a wide turn and drove on top of the island in the Willow Street driveway.

According to Jesus Campos, owner of Campos Soccer, the problem is not a new one, although this was the first time there was a gas spill. "Every time a semi truck comes into the parking lot, the turn is a tight fit," Campos said. "Yesterday was an accident."

Campos watched the incident from the front of his business, which faces Bird Avenue.

"The manager at Walgreens should have known the truck wouldn't make it," Campos said. "I didn't think it would."

To the owner of The Yung Fashion store, the truck should have parked on the street.

"It's a small shopping plaza," Yung Sun said. "It's a very narrow driveway, and the truck was very long."

San Jose firefighters, police, environmental enforcement, department of transportation streets and traffic enforcement and a private hazardous material cleanup contractor responded to the spill. They were able to contain the spill and prevent further contamination, Olmos said.

However, the closure of the parking lot during peak hours had a significant financial impact on surrounding businesses.

"We were open for the entire cleanup time, but because the parking lot was closed, people didn't know we were open," said David Ashby, Walgreens store manager. "The spill cost us about $6,000 in sales."

Customers who did call the store to inquire whether it was closed or open were instructed to park across the street.

Adjacent businesses experienced similar losses.

"Both entrances to the parking lot were closed, and business was slow because people couldn't come in," said Lan Vu, who does alterations at Charlie's Cleaners.

For David Soto, the cause was simple to explain: The truck was just too long.

"They really shouldn't allow 60-footers to come through here," said Soto, a manager at Bay Area Self Storage. "The 40-footers are fine, but anything larger really shouldn't be in here."

Soto questioned why delivery truck drivers aren't told to enter through the Willow Street entrance. Both entrances to the plaza are equally narrow, but Willow doesn't have a center island.

Soto has talked to the owner of the property but hasn't had any luck restricting the larger trucks.