Deputies said they responded to the 13700 block of East Freeway at about 6 p.m. and found that a BMW X3, Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata, and a tractor-trailer carrying construction equipment were involved in the crash.
The tractor-trailer was parked on the outside shoulder for planned roadway construction, investigators said.
Three people were inside the Hyundai. The driver and front passenger suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital. An adult man in the rear passenger seat suffered life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
A preliminary investigation found the Honda, Hyundai, and BMW were traveling westbound in the main lanes when all three vehicles collided.
The impact caused the Hyundai to rotate and strike the rear of the tractor-trailer. The Honda rolled over and came to rest on the service road, while the BMW rotated and stopped in the main lanes.
The drivers of the Honda and BMW were not injured, according to deputies.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office said no drivers showed signs of intoxication, and all involved were cooperating with the investigation.
The Sheriff's Office Vehicular Crimes Division is investigating. The cause of the crash remains under investigation