With most Vicksburg gas stations already selling well below state and national averages, a few motorists cashed in on a misprogrammed pump at one outlet Thursday — paying a price not seen in 50 years.

Police had to respond to the Kangaroo station on Halls Ferry Road and Pemberton Square Boulevard at 3:18 p.m. after lines at the station curled around its lot and nearly spilled into one of the city’s busiest intersections. Premium gas was being sold for 22 cents per gallon instead of the $2.21 that was supposed to be charged for higher-octane blend.

A computer programming error was blamed for the mistake, which caused a traffic tie-up in and around the parking lot until about 3:40 p.m. — causing an interesting array of emotions outside the station where Police Chief Tommy Moffett had responded to the ruckus.

Phoebe Sanders said she found out about the situation as she drove by in her SUV.

“Move, Chief Moffett!  I’m trying to get my gas!” Sanders said with a laugh, as Moffett was being told by a store manager that the pump price had been adjusted to reflect the actual price and the almost free-for-all was over.

As for the quirky situation, Sanders said she couldn’t resist.

“You know what? That’s on them!” Sanders said.

Moffett theorized the news spread via cell phone and text messages. However, no motorists appeared to be on the phone at the height of the frenzy, which quickly dispersed.

According to the Energy Information Administration, the retail price for a gallon of gasoline last sold for under 30 cents per gallon in 1956.

Gas in Vicksburg fell 25 cents below the state average and 39 cents below the national average about the same time a new Murphy Express station on Pemberton Boulevard at U.S. 61 South opened during last week’s Memorial Day weekend.

In what is an apparent case of price-matching, other stations lowered their price to about $2.05 for a gallon of regular unleaded from $2.19, just as prices were rising in other markets. Some stores have simply closed their pumps, declining to sell fuel at or below their cost.

Dan Waring of Waring Oil Co., a supplier to some stations selling fuel “at cost” this week, or closer to $2.19, characterized this week’s local fuel prices as an example of “predatory pricing” and doubted stations could continue to sell fuel below cost in light of rack prices.

Rack prices for sellers in Vicksburg reportedly stood slightly less on Thursday, about $1.89 for branded stations.

The uneven pricing also continues despite a slow rise in wholesale gasoline, which opened at $1.93 on the New York Mercantile Exchange this morning, up about 2 cents since Thursday’s close.

A gallon of regular gas averaged $2.30 in Mississippi and $2.44 nationwide this morning. Crude oil prices opened at $66 a barrel this morning, up $1.25 since Thursday’s close.

Vehicle owners have been pleased to see prices in Vicksburg, which have trended higher than in the larger Jackson market for years, not only lower than Jackson, but perhaps the lowest in the United States. But 22 cents for premium was, it turned out, way too good to be true. It was not known how many drivers took advantage of the error.

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Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com