Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
County in Pennsylvania · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 18
- Fatal crashes
- 18
- Population
- 330.9K
In 2024, 18 people died in 18 fatal crashes in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. That was 50.0% fewer than in 2023 (36) and the fewest in any year since 2020. The death rate was 5.4 per 100,000 residents, compared with 8.6 in Pennsylvania and 11.5 in the United States. Luzerne County had the 20th most traffic deaths among Pennsylvania's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 163 people died, an average of 33 a year. That rate is based on fewer than 20 deaths, so it can swing a lot from year to year. Pedestrians accounted for 17% of deaths, and 17% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
5.4
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About two-thirds of the rate in Pennsylvania: 8.6
- About half the rate in the United States: 11.5
10.0
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About 1.1 times the average in Pennsylvania: 9.0
- About 80 percent of the average in the United States: 12.3
-50%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
36 deaths in 2023, 18 in 2024
- Pennsylvania: -7%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 35 | 34 |
| 2021 | 41 | 40 |
| 2022 | 33 | 30 |
| 2023 | 36 | 36 |
| 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 | 10.8 |
| 2021 | 12.6 |
| 2022 | 10.1 |
| 2023 | 11.0 |
| 2024 | 5.4 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
17%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About the same as the share in Pennsylvania: 15%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 11 |
| Pedestrians | 3 |
| Motorcyclists | 3 |
| Cyclists | 1 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Luzerne County | Share in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 3 | 17% | 15% |
| Motorcyclists | 3 | 17% | 19% |
| Cyclists | 1 | 6% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 4 | 22% | 26% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 3 | 17% | 39% |
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
17%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 45 percent of the share in Pennsylvania: 37%
- About 60 percent of the share in the United States: 28%
17%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About two-thirds of the share in Pennsylvania: 24%
- About two-thirds of the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 16.7% | 24.2% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 16.7% | 37.4% | 28.1% |
| At night | 33.3% | 48.4% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 38.9% | 31.4% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
33%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About two-thirds of the share in Pennsylvania: 48%
- About two-thirds of the share in the United States: 54%
39%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 1.2 times the share in Pennsylvania: 31%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 6 |
| 1am | 4 |
| 2am | 1 |
| 3am | 4 |
| 4am | 3 |
| 5am | 2 |
| 6am | 4 |
| 7am | 2 |
| 8am | 6 |
| 9am | 10 |
| 10am | 7 |
| 11am | 6 |
| 12pm | 9 |
| 1pm | 11 |
| 2pm | 9 |
| 3pm | 10 |
| 4pm | 9 |
| 5pm | 9 |
| 6pm | 9 |
| 7pm | 14 |
| 8pm | 4 |
| 9pm | 5 |
| 10pm | 5 |
| 11pm | 8 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 15 |
| Mon | 18 |
| Tue | 21 |
| Wed | 22 |
| Thu | 24 |
| Fri | 31 |
| Sat | 27 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 8 |
| Feb | 11 |
| Mar | 8 |
| Apr | 11 |
| May | 14 |
| Jun | 14 |
| Jul | 19 |
| Aug | 11 |
| Sep | 13 |
| Oct | 17 |
| Nov | 16 |
| Dec | 16 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 107 |
| Rain | 7 |
| Cloudy | 6 |
| Snow | 5 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 2 |
| Freezing Rain or Drizzle | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 96 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 39 |
| Dark - Lighted | 20 |
| Dusk | 3 |
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-8011
- I-81 AMERICAN LEGION MEM HWY9
- US-115
- I-81 AMERICAN LEGION MEM HW4
- US-11 WYOMING AVE3
- SR-1183
- SR-940 FOSTER AVE3
- CR-HONEY HOLE RD2
- I-476 NORTHEAST EXT2
- SR-0115 BUCK BL2
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 71 |
| SUVs | 64 |
| Motorcycles | 29 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 22 |
| Pickup trucks | 19 |
| Vans | 14 |
| Other vehicles | 3 |
| Other light trucks | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Volvo Truck VNL4
- Subaru Legacy4
- Nissan Altima4
- Hyundai Elantra4
- Honda CR-V4
- Freightliner Cascadia4
- Ford Focus4
- Ford F-1504
- Ford Explorer4
- Toyota RAV43
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2021 | — | US-11 | 1 |
| Sep 28, 2021 | Wilkes Barre | WILKES BARRE BL | 1 |
| Sep 17, 2021 | — | I-81 AMERICAN LEGION MEM HW | 1 |
| Sep 2, 2021 | Sugarloaf | I-80 | 1 |
| Aug 6, 2021 | Ashley | SR-309 MOUNTAIN RD | 1 |
| Aug 6, 2021 | Hazleton | SR-93 BROAD ST | 1 |
| Jul 31, 2021 | Wilkes Barre | MALLERY PL | 1 |
| Jul 15, 2021 | — | SR-0309 HUNTER HW | 1 |
| Jul 12, 2021 | — | SR-3019 STOCKTON MOUNTAIN | 1 |
| Jul 11, 2021 | — | SR-0239 POND HILL RD | 1 |
| Jun 24, 2021 | — | SR-4016 HUNLOCK-HARVEYVILLE RD | 1 |
| Jun 12, 2021 | Hazleton | SR-3017 POPLAR ST | 1 |
| May 28, 2021 | — | I-80 | 1 |
| May 21, 2021 | — | I-81 AMERICAN LEGION MEM HW | 1 |
| May 3, 2021 | — | I-476 NORTHEAST EXT | 1 |
| Apr 24, 2021 | — | SR-0115 BUCK BL | 1 |
| Apr 22, 2021 | — | I-81 AMERICAN LEGION MEM HW | 1 |
| Apr 8, 2021 | — | SR-0239 MINER ST | 1 |
| Apr 3, 2021 | — | SR-309 HUNTER HWY | 2 |
| Mar 21, 2021 | — | I-81 AMERICAN LEGION MEM HWY | 1 |
| Mar 19, 2021 | — | SR-437 WOODLAWN RD | 1 |
| Mar 5, 2021 | — | SR-4018 BONNIEVILLE RD | 1 |
| Feb 5, 2021 | — | SR-115 BUCK BLVD | 1 |
| Jan 11, 2021 | — | SR-2007 GIANTS DESPAIR RD | 1 |
| Dec 27, 2020 | Wilkes Barre | SR-2004 CAREY AVE | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Cities in Luzerne County
| Area | Deaths, 2024 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Wilkes Barre | 2 | 4.5 |
Nearby counties
Get updates for Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
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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.