Eastern Carolina drivers react to skyrocketing gas prices

KINSTON, N.C. (WITN) - Gas prices are flirting with record highs again – adding to inflation headaches.

According to AAA, the national average for regular gasoline rose to about $4.32 Monday, a fraction of a penny shy of the all-time high set on March 11th.

Gas prices have climbed 13 cents over the last week and stand well above the recent low of $4.07 a gallon.

Fred Little, a Pure gas station cashier, sells gas, and is just as shocked as those who are paying for it.

“Somebody came last Sunday, it was $3 and now it’s $4,” Little said. “That’s pretty tough for me man.”

The gas prices initially went up largely because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February. The Biden administration responded by unleashing a record amount of oil from U.S. emergency oil stockpiles in March.

The ongoing efforts helped cool oil and gasoline prices for a bit, but the relief was relatively minor.

As prices skyrocket again, Kinston native Alice Poole prays prices will go back down.

“We are praying that this’ll soon come to a closure because of what happened in Russia and Ukraine,” Poole said.

According to AAA, the average gas price in North Carolina is $4.09.

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