Vehicle bursts into flames on Gardiner Expressway, halting traffic for hours

This video shows a major car fire that brought traffic on the Toronto highway to a standstill during rush hour on Friday.

All lanes of the Gardiner Expressway have now reopened following a collision and car fire that snarled traffic on the busy highway and sent two people to hospital.

Emergency crews responded to multiple reports of a collision involving two to four vehicles on the Gardiner Expressway, between Yonge and Jarvis streets, shortly after 9:30 a.m., Toronto Fire told CP24.com.

When firefighters arrived, they found the smaller vehicle completely involved in flames.

Images from the scene showed a vehicle engulfed in flames, with heavy black smoke billowing from it.

The driver managed to escape the vehicle and firefighters quickly put out the blaze when they arrived, Toronto Fire said.

Two people were transported to hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, Toronto Paramedic Services said.

CP24 Traffic Specialist Meital Sperling said the collision and fire created " big problems” for motorists in the area, with the backup stretching all the way to Jameson Avenue at one point.

“So you can imagine, very unpleasant,” Sperling said.

The busy highway completely reopened in both directions over the noon hour, Toronto police said.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the crash.