Watch: Car bursts into flames in downtown Hamilton during morning traffic

A simple nose to tail crash in central Hamilton turned nasty after a vehicle burst into flames and crashed into parked vehicles damaging them in the process.

Paul Gregory watched the scene unfold on Tristram St during his morning commute on his bicycle around 7am.

"I was riding to work this morning and from the distance, I could see a plume of smoke in the direction I was going to work.

"I saw a car on fire, there was three burning at the same time."

He saw somebody run from a burning vehicle he thought to be a Range Rover.

There looked to be fuel leaking into the gutter from one of the cars.

"There were vehicles trying to drive through the fire. There were explosions happening, I expect the fuel tank must have blown."

The fire brigade arrived about four minutes after the first car burst into flames, he said.

"Lucky no one was hurt."

The Hamilton Fire Brigade urged motorists to pay attention when driving after six cars were damaged in the fiery nose-to-tail.

"A reminder to everyone, that when you are driving, please keep your eyes on the road. This was caused by a nose to tail this morning resulting in 6 cars being severely damaged. Crews arrived to find 2 cars fully ablaze with a 3rd also damaged by fire," they wrote on their Facebook page.

A reminder to everyone, that when you are driving, please keep your eyes on the road. This was caused by a nose to tail...

Posted by Hamilton City Fire Area on Wednesday, 22 August 2018

The crash occurred on Tristram St near Seddon Park at 7am.

MORE TO COME.