Three men were injured, one critically, in a multi-vehicle crash in Nanakuli that led to gridlock on Farrington Highway Friday morning, authorities said.

Honolulu police said that at about 5:50 a.m., a 31-year-old man was driving west on the highway “at a high rate of speed” when he side-swiped a vehicle driven by 21-year-old man.

The 31-year-old man lost control of the vehicle, careening into the eastbound lanes,and crashing into a vehicle driven by a 32-year-old motorist.

Debris from the second collision struck a vehicle driven by a 47-year-old man, causing damages.

The 31-year-old driver who started the chain-reaction crash continued in the eastbound lanes of Farrington Highway and struck a vehicle driven by a 29-year-old man and his 30-year-old passenger head-on.

“As a result of this collision, the 29-year-old male and his 30-year-old passenger spun out and collided with (another) 31-year-old male motorist. A 30-year-old motorist then collides with a 31-year-old motorist,” according to a summary from the Honolulu Police Department’s Traffic Division.

Honolulu Emergency Medical Services paramedics responded to the scene near Auyong Homestead Road and paramedics treated the first 31-year-old man and took him to a hospital in critical condition. They also treated two men, the 29-year-old and 30-year-old drivers, took them to the hospital in serious condition.

The other people involved were not injured, police said.

HPD closed Farrington Highway for hours during the morning commute causing gridlock throughout West Oahu.