Emergency personnel respond to an accident involving about 42 cars on the H-1 eastbound in Pearl City during this morning's commute. At least seven people were taken to hospitals, a fire departmemt spokesman said. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

A total of 18 collisions occured on the eastbound direction of the freeway at 8:10 a.m. in the second lane to the right of the zipper lane, authorities said. The zipper lane and two right lanes on the roadway remained open to rush-hour traffic and a third lane was opened at about 10:30 a.m.

Honolulu Fire Department Battalion Chief Manny Neves, said fire rescue specialists and companies from Waipahu, Waiau and Waikele were sent.

"In my 23 years with the fire department, I’ve never seen anything like this before," Neves said.

Neves described the driving conditions in the area today as treacherous and said he believes weather was a factor.

"It was raining hard, the road was wet and there was a severe sun glare coming off the road," he said.

The fire companies set up a covered triage area on the freeway to treat the injured, Neves said.

"We went car to car to check on who was injured and treated the most serious first," Neves said. "Six people complaining of neck, back and spinal pain were the first who were treated.” Neves added that other motorists who had minor injuries opted to seek their own medical attention.

Paramedics took eight people to various hospitals, said Ron Yamada, a district chief with the city’s Emergency Medical Services.

Paramedics reported mostly neck and back injuries, but two pregnant women were taken to Kapi‘olani Medical Center at Pali Momi for observation.

Three women were taken to Kuakini Medical Center and three victims — two men and a woman — were taken to St. Francis Medical Center.

Their medical conditions were unavailable, but hospital spokespeople said doctors expected to treat and release most of them today.

Will Chen, a 30-year-old computer specialist, said he was on the H-1 driving to work when it began to rain hard. Right away, the tires on the vehicles in front of him kicked up a thick mist of water.

Then vehicles began to slam into each other.

"I saw a sea of red brake lights and slammed on my brakes," Chen said.

He stopped quickly enough to avoid hitting cars in front of him. But almost immediately, a tractor trailer jack-knifed into his BMW sedan, carving out the backseat and rear window.

Advertiser staff writers Scott Ishikawa and Will Hoover contributed to this report.