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Drivers in St. Louis, Metro East face spike in gas prices

According to AAA, Missouri's statewide average on Friday at $3.48 was the third-lowest in the country compared to more than $4 in Illinois.

ST. LOUIS — Drivers saw high price points at the pump on Friday. Gas prices have continued to soar across the country, including in Missouri and Illinois.

"It's crazy. It's really crazy," said Rebecca Holman, a young professional. "Twenty dollars is going to have to be it and I'm probably going to have to fill up later.”

Holman told 5 On Your Side she was concerned for lower and middle-class families considering the already strained economy.

"We're just trying to kind of get over the pandemic. That was insane. Now we're trying to make ends meet before the summer," Holman said. "People have vacations. Families to feed. This is just one more problem added to the list."

The feeling was mutual for Steve Manthy who was traveling from Wisconsin to catch college baseball in Missouri.

"It's pretty steep. It's going up everywhere but it's about 50 cents more here than it is in Wisconsin," Manthy said.

According to AAA, Missouri's statewide average on Friday at $3.48 was the third-lowest in the country.

Although prices in the St. Louis area were a bit higher, some people from Illinois took to the St. Louis area to fill up.

“It's a hurting a lot of people that are still commuting. That's really hard," said Rose Whitcomb. "But the people in Ukraine. I mean they're going through a lot worse.”

The War in Ukraine has been a main driver of prices soaring past $4.

“What we're also seeing now is some countries basically boycotting Russian oil which is again going to impact the total amount of oil available throughout the global market and subsequently raise crude oil prices," said Nick Chabarria, a AAA spokesperson.

Chabarria added that as summer approaches, drivers should not be surprised by gas prices remaining the same or increasing.

Here are a few tips for consumers during the gas price surge:

  • Shop around
  • Check vehicle maintenance (oil change, tires, cargo weight)
  • Drive defensively
  • Eliminate some trips if possible

To check the lowest gas prices in the St. Louis area, click here.

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