A four-car pileup near Exit 12 of Interstate 985 injured four and caused traffic headaches Monday afternoon.

The accident happened just after 3 p.m. as traffic began backing up for a minor one-car accident in the northbound lanes.

That started a chain reaction, ending in a four-car pileup, said Col. Jeff Strickland of the Hall County Sheriff's Office.

One of the cars in the pileup caught fire after its gas tank ruptured and ignited, Hall County Fire Chief David Kimbrell said.

The driver was able to safely get out of the car, but four people involved in the accident were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, Kimbrell said.

He said the flames were put out shortly after firefighters arrived, but traffic was affected for more than an hour as the northbound lanes were closed so vehicles and debris could be cleared from the roadway.