Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Pennington County, South Dakota
County in South Dakota · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 12
- Fatal crashes
- 11
- Population
- 116.3K
In 2024, 12 people died in 11 fatal crashes in Pennington County, South Dakota. That was 20.0% more than in 2023 (10) and the most since 2022. The death rate was 10.3 per 100,000 residents, compared with 15.7 in South Dakota and 11.5 in the United States. Pennington County had the 2nd most traffic deaths among South Dakota's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 77 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. 45% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
10.3
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About two-thirds of the rate in South Dakota: 15.7
- About 90 percent of the rate in the United States: 11.5
13.6
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About 85 percent of the average in South Dakota: 15.7
- About 1.1 times the average in the United States: 12.3
+20%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
10 deaths in 2023, 12 in 2024
- South Dakota: +4%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 11 | 11 |
| 2021 | 26 | 23 |
| 2022 | 18 | 18 |
| 2023 | 10 | 10 |
| 2024 | 12 | 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 | 10.0 |
| 2021 | 23.2 |
| 2022 | 15.8 |
| 2023 | 8.6 |
| 2024 | 10.3 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
0%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 5 percent of the share in South Dakota: 6%
- About 5 percent of the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 8 |
| Pedestrians | 0 |
| Motorcyclists | 4 |
| Cyclists | 0 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Pennington County | Share in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 0 | 0% | 6% |
| Motorcyclists | 4 | 33% | 23% |
| Cyclists | 0 | 0% | 3% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 5 | 42% | 29% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 6 | 50% | 23% |
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 double the share in South Dakota: 22%
- About 1.6 times the share in the United States: 28%
45%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About 1.2 times the share in South Dakota: 37%
- About 1.8 times the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Pennington County | South Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 45.5% | 36.6% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 45.5% | 22.4% | 28.1% |
| At night | 54.5% | 35.8% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 18.2% | 30.6% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
55%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About 1.5 times the share in South Dakota: 36%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 54%
18%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 60 percent of the share in South Dakota: 31%
- About 55 percent of the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 2 |
| 1am | 2 |
| 2am | 4 |
| 3am | 2 |
| 4am | 1 |
| 5am | 0 |
| 6am | 2 |
| 7am | 1 |
| 8am | 0 |
| 9am | 2 |
| 10am | 3 |
| 11am | 4 |
| 12pm | 5 |
| 1pm | 4 |
| 2pm | 5 |
| 3pm | 2 |
| 4pm | 3 |
| 5pm | 3 |
| 6pm | 6 |
| 7pm | 4 |
| 8pm | 4 |
| 9pm | 7 |
| 10pm | 5 |
| 11pm | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 8 |
| Mon | 7 |
| Tue | 8 |
| Wed | 10 |
| Thu | 10 |
| Fri | 16 |
| Sat | 14 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 0 |
| Feb | 3 |
| Mar | 8 |
| Apr | 8 |
| May | 3 |
| Jun | 4 |
| Jul | 6 |
| Aug | 12 |
| Sep | 10 |
| Oct | 8 |
| Nov | 6 |
| Dec | 5 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 46 |
| Cloudy | 18 |
| Rain | 5 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 36 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 20 |
| Dark - Lighted | 13 |
| 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
- I-90 W8
- SR-447
- US-165
- I-90 E3
- CR-OLD HILL CITY RD2
- US-16A2
- US-3852
- CR-COUNTRY RD2
- ELK VALE RD2
- HAINES AVE2
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Motorcycles | 28 |
| Cars | 27 |
| SUVs | 22 |
| Pickup trucks | 16 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 5 |
| Vans | 2 |
| Other vehicles | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Chevrolet Silverado4
- Harley Davidson FLHTCUTG / Tri Glide Ultra3
- GMC Sierra3
- Toyota Tacoma2
- Toyota Corolla2
- Mercury Sable2
- Mazda Mazda32
- Jeep Grand Cherokee2
- Honda Odyssey2
- 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 | Rapid City | SKYLINE DR | 1 |
| Nov 6, 2024 | — | I-90 W | 1 |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Wall | I-90 W | 1 |
| Aug 30, 2024 | Rapid City | E ANAMOSA ST | 1 |
| Aug 26, 2024 | Rapid City | CAMBELL ST | 1 |
| Aug 5, 2024 | — | NEMO RD | 1 |
| Jul 31, 2024 | — | OLD HILL CITY RD | 1 |
| Apr 27, 2024 | — | SPRING CREEK | 1 |
| Apr 24, 2024 | — | SR-244 | 1 |
| Apr 11, 2024 | Rapid City | SHERIDAN LAKE | 1 |
| Apr 9, 2024 | Rapid City | 5TH ST | 2 |
| Dec 16, 2023 | Wall | I-90 E | 1 |
| Nov 25, 2023 | — | I-90 W | 1 |
| Sep 9, 2023 | — | HIGHWAY 14 - 16 E | 1 |
| Sep 3, 2023 | Rapid City | HAINES AVE | 1 |
| Aug 13, 2023 | — | NECK YOKE RD | 1 |
| Aug 11, 2023 | — | NORRIS PEAK RD | 1 |
| Aug 5, 2023 | — | SR-44 | 1 |
| Aug 2, 2023 | — | I-90 W | 1 |
| Jul 21, 2023 | Rapid City | SHERIDAN LAKE RD | 1 |
| Feb 10, 2023 | Rapid City | DEGEEST DR | 1 |
| Dec 31, 2022 | Rapid City | E NORTH ST | 1 |
| Oct 31, 2022 | Rapid City | I-90 W2 | 1 |
| Oct 24, 2022 | Rapid City | US-16 B | 1 |
| Oct 19, 2022 | Rapid City | US-16 | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Cities in Pennington County
| Area | Deaths, 2024 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | 6 | 7.5 |
Nearby counties
Get updates for Pennington County, South Dakota
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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.