The crash happened at 11400 South Sam Houston Parkway East at Sabo Road at about 7:10 p.m.
HPD said that all the vehicles were waiting at a red light when an 18-wheeler is believed to have hit one of the cars, then continued to hit the remaining five others and did not stop.
Officers confirmed the injuries that a 44-year-old man was dead in a Chevy Cavalier; a woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and a 9-year-old boy suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Houston police said they would be looking through surveillance video to get a description of a suspect and the truck involved.