Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Burke County, North Carolina
County in North Carolina · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 18
- Fatal crashes
- 18
- Population
- 88.6K
In 2024, 18 people died in 18 fatal crashes in Burke County, North Carolina. That was 63.6% more than in 2023 (11) and the most in any year since 2020. The death rate was 20.3 per 100,000 residents, compared with 14.6 in North Carolina and 11.5 in the United States. Burke County had the 30th most traffic deaths among North Carolina's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 65 people died, an average of 13 a year. That rate is based on fewer than 20 deaths, so it can swing a lot from year to year. Pedestrians accounted for 22% of deaths, and 39% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
20.3
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About 1.4 times the rate in North Carolina: 14.6
- About 1.8 times the rate in the United States: 11.5
14.8
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About the same as the average in North Carolina: 15.0
- About 1.2 times the average in the United States: 12.3
+64%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
11 deaths in 2023, 18 in 2024
- North Carolina: +3%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 14 | 13 |
| 2021 | 10 | 9 |
| 2022 | 12 | 12 |
| 2023 | 11 | 9 |
| 2024 | 18 | 18 |
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 | 16.0 |
| 2021 | 11.5 |
| 2022 | 13.7 |
| 2023 | 12.5 |
| 2024 | 20.3 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
22%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 1.4 times the share in North Carolina: 16%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 10 |
| Pedestrians | 4 |
| Motorcyclists | 4 |
| Cyclists | 0 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Burke County | Share in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 4 | 22% | 16% |
| Motorcyclists | 4 | 22% | 13% |
| Cyclists | 0 | 0% | 3% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 5 | 28% | 28% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 7 | 39% | 42% |
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
39%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About the same as the share in North Carolina: 41%
- About 1.4 times the share in the United States: 28%
22%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About the same as the share in North Carolina: 21%
- About 90 percent of the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Burke County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 22.2% | 20.8% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 38.9% | 40.8% | 28.1% |
| At night | 50.0% | 50.2% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 22.2% | 31.4% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
50%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About the same as the share in North Carolina: 50%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 54%
22%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About two-thirds of the share in North Carolina: 31%
- About two-thirds of the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 3 |
| 1am | 2 |
| 2am | 0 |
| 3am | 1 |
| 4am | 0 |
| 5am | 1 |
| 6am | 2 |
| 7am | 2 |
| 8am | 3 |
| 9am | 0 |
| 10am | 3 |
| 11am | 2 |
| 12pm | 2 |
| 1pm | 1 |
| 2pm | 6 |
| 3pm | 5 |
| 4pm | 3 |
| 5pm | 4 |
| 6pm | 6 |
| 7pm | 6 |
| 8pm | 2 |
| 9pm | 2 |
| 10pm | 2 |
| 11pm | 3 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 7 |
| Mon | 13 |
| Tue | 5 |
| Wed | 7 |
| Thu | 13 |
| Fri | 11 |
| Sat | 5 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 7 |
| Feb | 5 |
| Mar | 3 |
| Apr | 2 |
| May | 8 |
| Jun | 3 |
| Jul | 7 |
| Aug | 4 |
| Sep | 9 |
| Oct | 3 |
| Nov | 5 |
| Dec | 5 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 46 |
| Cloudy | 7 |
| Rain | 7 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 34 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 21 |
| Dark - Lighted | 2 |
| Dawn | 2 |
| Dusk | 2 |
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
- I-407
- US-707
- SR-1817
- US-644
- I-40 W3
- SR-183
- NS-98502 FOXRIDGE DR1
- N GREEN ST1
- I-40 RAMP1
- I-40 E1
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 28 |
| SUVs | 22 |
| Pickup trucks | 21 |
| Motorcycles | 12 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 5 |
| Vans | 3 |
| Other vehicles | 2 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Chevrolet Silverado3
- Honda Pilot3
- Dodge Dakota2
- Ford F-1502
- Ford F-2502
- Ford Ranger2
- Honda CR-V2
- Jeep Grand Cherokee2
- Kia Soul2
- Toyota Camry2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 8, 2024 | — | US-64 | 1 |
| Nov 20, 2024 | — | SR-183 | 1 |
| Nov 11, 2024 | — | SR-18 | 1 |
| Oct 17, 2024 | — | US-70 | 1 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | — | SSR-1713 SUMMERS RD | 1 |
| Sep 20, 2024 | — | I-40 E | 1 |
| Sep 18, 2024 | Morganton | I-40 W | 1 |
| Sep 9, 2024 | — | NS-98502 FOXRIDGE DR | 1 |
| Jul 1, 2024 | — | SR-18 | 1 |
| May 29, 2024 | Icard | I-40 W | 1 |
| May 24, 2024 | — | SSR-1611 RHODHISS RD | 1 |
| May 15, 2024 | — | SSR-1501 ANTIOCH RD | 1 |
| May 4, 2024 | — | SSR-1002 HENRY RIVER RD | 1 |
| Mar 17, 2024 | — | SR-114 DREXEL RD | 1 |
| Mar 10, 2024 | — | SSR-1800 GEORGE HILDEBRAN SCHO | 1 |
| Feb 12, 2024 | Icard | US-70 | 1 |
| Feb 9, 2024 | — | US-64 | 1 |
| Jan 15, 2024 | — | US-64 | 1 |
| Nov 2, 2023 | — | I-40 | 2 |
| Oct 23, 2023 | — | SR-18 | 1 |
| Aug 29, 2023 | — | I-40 W | 1 |
| Jul 17, 2023 | — | I-40 | 2 |
| Jul 4, 2023 | — | SR-181 | 1 |
| Jun 10, 2023 | — | SR-181 | 1 |
| Feb 28, 2023 | — | SSR-1538 FALLS RD NW | 1 |
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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.