Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Rutherford County, North Carolina
County in North Carolina · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 16
- Fatal crashes
- 11
- Population
- 65.6K
In 2024, 16 people died in 11 fatal crashes in Rutherford County, North Carolina. That was 45.5% more than in 2023 (11) and the most since 2020. The death rate was 24.4 per 100,000 residents, compared with 14.6 in North Carolina and 11.5 in the United States. Rutherford County had the 36th most traffic deaths among North Carolina's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 75 people died, an average of 15 a year. That rate is based on fewer than 20 deaths, so it can swing a lot from year to year. Pedestrians accounted for 13% of deaths, and 55% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
24.4
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About 1.7 times the rate in North Carolina: 14.6
- About double the rate in the United States: 11.5
23.1
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About 1.5 times the average in North Carolina: 15.0
- About 1.9 times the average in the United States: 12.3
+45%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
11 deaths in 2023, 16 in 2024
- North Carolina: +3%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 24 | 21 |
| 2021 | 13 | 12 |
| 2022 | 11 | 10 |
| 2023 | 11 | 10 |
| 2024 | 16 | 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 | 37.3 |
| 2021 | 20.2 |
| 2022 | 17.0 |
| 2023 | 16.8 |
| 2024 | 24.4 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
13%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About three-quarters of the share in North Carolina: 16%
- About two-thirds of the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 13 |
| Pedestrians | 2 |
| Motorcyclists | 1 |
| Cyclists | 0 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Rutherford County | Share in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 2 | 13% | 16% |
| Motorcyclists | 1 | 6% | 13% |
| Cyclists | 0 | 0% | 3% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 4 | 25% | 28% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 7 | 44% | 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
55%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 1.3 times the share in North Carolina: 41%
- About 1.9 times the share in the United States: 28%
9%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About 45 percent of the share in North Carolina: 21%
- About 35 percent of the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Rutherford County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 9.1% | 20.8% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 54.5% | 40.8% | 28.1% |
| At night | 63.6% | 50.2% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 45.5% | 31.4% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
64%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About 1.3 times the share in North Carolina: 50%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 54%
45%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 1.4 times the share in North Carolina: 31%
- About 1.4 times the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 1 |
| 1am | 3 |
| 2am | 0 |
| 3am | 2 |
| 4am | 0 |
| 5am | 2 |
| 6am | 0 |
| 7am | 1 |
| 8am | 3 |
| 9am | 0 |
| 10am | 4 |
| 11am | 5 |
| 12pm | 2 |
| 1pm | 4 |
| 2pm | 1 |
| 3pm | 2 |
| 4pm | 4 |
| 5pm | 6 |
| 6pm | 3 |
| 7pm | 5 |
| 8pm | 4 |
| 9pm | 3 |
| 10pm | 3 |
| 11pm | 6 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 7 |
| Mon | 9 |
| Tue | 7 |
| Wed | 12 |
| Thu | 9 |
| Fri | 8 |
| Sat | 12 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 6 |
| Feb | 3 |
| Mar | 3 |
| Apr | 5 |
| May | 4 |
| Jun | 9 |
| Jul | 4 |
| Aug | 6 |
| Sep | 9 |
| Oct | 5 |
| Nov | 5 |
| Dec | 5 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 48 |
| Cloudy | 8 |
| Rain | 7 |
| Severe Crosswinds | 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 | 27 |
| Dark - Lighted | 2 |
| Dusk | 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-2216
- US-645
- US-745
- US-74 BUS3
- SSR-1006 BOSTIC SUNSHINE HWY2
- SR-2262
- SR-1202
- SSR-1510 HUDLOW RD2
- SSR-1990 HIGH SHOALS CHURCH RD1
- SSR-1595 OLD US 74 HWY1
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 30 |
| Pickup trucks | 28 |
| SUVs | 22 |
| Motorcycles | 12 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 5 |
| Other vehicles | 3 |
| Vans | 2 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Ford F-1506
- Chevrolet GMT-4003
- Chevrolet Silverado3
- GMC Envoy3
- Nissan Pickup3
- Toyota Tacoma2
- Ram 15002
- Nissan Rogue2
- Nissan Altima2
- Kia Optima2
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 6, 2024 | — | SSR-1006 BOSTIC SUNSHINE HWY | 5 |
| Nov 9, 2024 | Forest City | SSR-2178 HARDIN RD | 1 |
| Nov 5, 2024 | — | US-64 | 1 |
| Oct 16, 2024 | — | SR-120 | 1 |
| Sep 30, 2024 | — | US-74 ALT | 2 |
| May 25, 2024 | — | SSR-1901 OLD CAROLEEN RD | 1 |
| Apr 15, 2024 | — | SSR-1993 OLD US 221 A HWY | 1 |
| Apr 6, 2024 | — | SSR-1906 MT PLEASANT CHURCH RD | 1 |
| Mar 10, 2024 | Rutherfordton | US-74A BYP HWY COLLEGE RD | 1 |
| Jan 27, 2024 | — | SSR-1006 BOSTIC SUNSHINE HWY | 1 |
| Jan 8, 2024 | — | US-74 | 1 |
| Dec 20, 2023 | — | US-221 | 1 |
| Sep 27, 2023 | — | SSR-1001 COVE RD | 1 |
| Sep 23, 2023 | — | US-74 | 1 |
| Jun 24, 2023 | — | US-221 | 1 |
| Jun 22, 2023 | — | SSR-1595 OLD US 74 HWY | 2 |
| Jun 21, 2023 | — | US-74 | 1 |
| May 31, 2023 | — | SR-226 | 1 |
| Mar 11, 2023 | Lake Lure | SSR-1306 BUFFALO SHOALS | 1 |
| Jan 8, 2023 | Rutherfordton | SR-108S WASHINGTON ST | 1 |
| Jan 2, 2023 | Rutherfordton | US-64 | 1 |
| Nov 30, 2022 | Forest City | US-74 COLLEGE AVE | 1 |
| Sep 6, 2022 | — | US-74 BUS | 1 |
| Sep 2, 2022 | — | SSR-1561 | 1 |
| Aug 1, 2022 | — | SSR-2190 CROWE DAIRY RD | 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.