Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in La Plata County, Colorado
County in Colorado · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 11
- Fatal crashes
- 11
- Population
- 56.9K
In 2024, 11 people died in 11 fatal crashes in La Plata County, Colorado. That was 8.3% fewer than in 2023 (12) and the fewest since 2020. The death rate was 19.3 per 100,000 residents, compared with 11.5 in Colorado and 11.5 in the United States. La Plata County had the 12th most traffic deaths among Colorado's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 53 people died, an average of 11 a year. That rate is based on fewer than 20 deaths, so it can swing a lot from year to year. Pedestrians accounted for 9% of deaths, and 45% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
19.3
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About 1.7 times the rate in Colorado: 11.5
- About 1.7 times the rate in the United States: 11.5
18.8
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About 1.6 times the average in Colorado: 11.9
- About 1.5 times the average in the United States: 12.3
-8%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
12 deaths in 2023, 11 in 2024
- Colorado: -4%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 | 5 |
| 2021 | 12 | 11 |
| 2022 | 13 | 12 |
| 2023 | 12 | 10 |
| 2024 | 11 | 11 |
People who died within 30 days of a crash. A fatal crash can kill more than one person.
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| Category | Deaths per 100,000 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 9.0 |
| 2021 | 21.4 |
| 2022 | 23.0 |
| 2023 | 21.3 |
| 2024 | 19.3 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
9%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 55 percent of the share in Colorado: 16%
- About half the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 7 |
| Pedestrians | 1 |
| Motorcyclists | 3 |
| Cyclists | 0 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in La Plata County | Share in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 1 | 9% | 16% |
| Motorcyclists | 3 | 27% | 24% |
| Cyclists | 0 | 0% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 2 | 18% | 30% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 5 | 45% | 34% |
Alcohol-impaired and speeding-related count everyone killed in those crashes, so a death can appear in more than one row.
Crash factors
Speeding, alcohol, night and weekend crashes
45%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 1.4 times the share in Colorado: 33%
- About 1.6 times the share in the United States: 28%
18%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About 55 percent of the share in Colorado: 32%
- About three-quarters of the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | La Plata County | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 18.2% | 31.9% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 45.5% | 33.5% | 28.1% |
| At night | 36.4% | 52.2% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 63.6% | 36.0% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
36%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About two-thirds of the share in Colorado: 52%
- About two-thirds of the share in the United States: 54%
64%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 1.8 times the share in Colorado: 36%
- About double the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 3 |
| 1am | 0 |
| 2am | 1 |
| 3am | 0 |
| 4am | 0 |
| 5am | 0 |
| 6am | 2 |
| 7am | 2 |
| 8am | 4 |
| 9am | 3 |
| 10am | 1 |
| 11am | 3 |
| 12pm | 2 |
| 1pm | 1 |
| 2pm | 2 |
| 3pm | 1 |
| 4pm | 3 |
| 5pm | 2 |
| 6pm | 1 |
| 7pm | 4 |
| 8pm | 4 |
| 9pm | 6 |
| 10pm | 3 |
| 11pm | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 12 |
| Mon | 5 |
| Tue | 6 |
| Wed | 5 |
| Thu | 6 |
| Fri | 9 |
| Sat | 6 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 2 |
| Feb | 4 |
| Mar | 2 |
| Apr | 3 |
| May | 3 |
| Jun | 4 |
| Jul | 5 |
| Aug | 6 |
| Sep | 8 |
| Oct | 9 |
| Nov | 3 |
| Dec | 0 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 37 |
| Rain | 3 |
| Cloudy | 1 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 1 |
| Snow | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 23 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 17 |
| Dark - Lighted | 5 |
| Dusk | 3 |
| Dawn | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2020–2024
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- US-16016
- US-5508
- CR-3183
- CR-2532
- CR-5012
- SR-1402
- SR-1722
- US-550 MAIN AVE2
- CR-2071
- ANIMAS VIEW DR1
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| SUVs | 24 |
| Cars | 18 |
| Pickup trucks | 13 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 10 |
| Motorcycles | 7 |
| Vans | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Chevrolet Silverado5
- Jeep Cherokee4
- Toyota 4-Runner3
- GMC Sierra3
- Ford F-3503
- Toyota RAV42
- Subaru Outback2
- Jeep Wrangler2
- Jeep Grand Cherokee2
- Honda Civic2
Reflects how common a vehicle is as well as crash involvement; not a safety rating.
Crashes
Fatal crashes
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Fatal crashes in 2024. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 23, 2024 | — | CR-309A | 1 |
| Oct 23, 2024 | — | US-160 | 1 |
| Oct 6, 2024 | — | US-160 | 1 |
| Sep 30, 2024 | — | CR-310 | 1 |
| Sep 30, 2024 | Durango | US-550 MAIN AVE | 1 |
| Sep 15, 2024 | — | CR-302 | 1 |
| Sep 1, 2024 | — | US-550 | 1 |
| Aug 31, 2024 | — | CR-213 | 1 |
| Jun 16, 2024 | — | CR-501 | 1 |
| Mar 24, 2024 | — | US-160 | 1 |
| Feb 20, 2024 | — | US-550 | 1 |
| Oct 20, 2023 | — | CR-318 | 1 |
| Oct 19, 2023 | — | CR-253 | 1 |
| Oct 1, 2023 | Durango | US-160 | 1 |
| Sep 14, 2023 | Durango | ANIMAS VIEW DR | 1 |
| Sep 11, 2023 | — | CR-207 | 2 |
| Aug 10, 2023 | — | CR-509 | 1 |
| Jul 23, 2023 | — | CR-521 | 1 |
| Jun 13, 2023 | — | US-160 | 1 |
| Apr 14, 2023 | — | SR-172 | 1 |
| Apr 12, 2023 | — | US-160 | 2 |
| Oct 17, 2022 | Durango | US-160 | 1 |
| Oct 7, 2022 | — | US-550 | 1 |
| Sep 20, 2022 | Durango | US-160 | 1 |
| Aug 7, 2022 | Durango | FLORIDA RD | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Cities in La Plata County
| Area | Deaths, 2024 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Durango | 1 | 5.0 |
Nearby counties
Get updates for La Plata County, Colorado
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020–2024. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.