It happened at about 8 p.m. on I-69 Eastex Freeway northbound at Beltway 8 North.
According to Sgt. David Rose with HPD's Vehicular Crimes, a driver in a blue sedan lost control and crashed into a barricade at the entrance ramp to the Beltway.
That person is in critical condition.
After that wreck, more crashes, including one involving a white pickup and an 18-wheeler, occurred as drivers tried to avoid the first incident.
Police said others were taken to the hospital but with non-life-threatening injuries.