A stolen van fleeing police plowed through more than a dozen cars and was shot at by a police officer along a busy stretch of Kalaniana'ole Highway in Kahala yesterday afternoon, but no one was seriously injured.

Two men were arrested after a brief foot chase. The driver, 27, faces charges including first- and second-degree attempted murder, 13 counts of criminal property damage, and driving a stolen vehicle. The passenger, 39, was booked for detaining stolen property.

The incident left a trail of damaged vehicles, shattered parts and stalled traffic for hours in both directions along Kalaniana'ole Highway. Police said 13 vehicles and a motorcycle were damaged by the stolen Plymouth Voyager van during the 4:25 p.m. incident at the highway's 'Ainakoa Avenue intersection.

Kuli'ou'ou resident Greg Quilit was sitting on his idling Harley-Davidson as he waited for the traffic light at 'Ainakoa when he noticed two police cars in the intersection and two officers peering into cars. He said he then heard what sounded like two gunshots and looked into his rear-view mirror.

He said he couldn't believe what he was seeing as the van slammed through two lanes of cars behind him.

"It looked like a locomotive just pushing cars out of the way. I had no time to react. All I could do was jump off my bike and roll," Quilit said. "Sheet metal from all of the cars was just flying every which way."

Quilit said the charging van nearly ran over his motorcycle. The tough-looking biker choked back tears as he recalled the incident.

"You could just feel the force just run right through you," he said. "I felt that wind go right by me."

Another man, who would only identify himself as Joe, was in his car just to the left and in front of the stolen van when he saw the two officers on each side of the highway. Suddenly, the van accelerated and he said he heard a gunshot.

Joe, who was taking his family to see Honolulu City Lights, said he didn't see much after that.

"The moment we heard the shot we ducked. We didn't want to see it, hear it, know anything about it, just in case that wasn't the end of it," he said.

Joe said his car was the first to be hit by the fleeing van, but was not seriously damaged.

Police Lt. Robert Cravalho, of the Internal Affairs division, said the officer who shot at the van, a 22-year HPD veteran, was placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

Cravalho said the incident began in Hawai'i Kai where officers began to follow a van that was reported stolen. When the van stopped near 'Ainakoa, two officers approached the van and the driver attempted to flee, Cravalho said.

"He kind of made his own pathway between the cars," he said.

But the van came to a stop when it slammed into the back of another car. The two men then jumped out and ran.

Cravalho said the driver ran across eastbound lanes and was captured as he tried to run to Waikui Street. Police caught up with the passenger as he ran down Ali'ikoa Street toward Star of the Sea School.

Cravalho said one person in one of the cars was taken to the hospital as a precaution. There were no other injuries, he said.

The incident backed traffic in both directions for miles as police closed two lanes in the west-bound direction and rubber-neckers in the eastbound lanes slowed to look.

Quilit, who was on his way to work as a chef at Tanaka of Tokyo in Waikiki, was one of many who did not make it to their destinations. But he said after the incident that was the last thing on his mind.

"I'm fortunate to be alive and that's all that matters," Quilit said. "This is my early Christmas present."

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.