Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Mercer County, West Virginia
County in West Virginia · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 6
- Fatal crashes
- 6
- Population
- 57.6K
In 2024, 6 people died in 6 fatal crashes in Mercer County, West Virginia. That was 33.3% fewer than in 2023 (9) and the fewest in any year since 2020. The death rate was 10.4 per 100,000 residents, compared with 14.5 in West Virginia and 11.5 in the United States. Mercer County had the 10th most traffic deaths among West Virginia's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 47 people died, an average of 9.4 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 33% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
10.4
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About 70 percent of the rate in West Virginia: 14.5
- About the same as the rate in the United States: 11.5
16.0
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About the same as the average in West Virginia: 15.0
- About 1.3 times the average in the United States: 12.3
-33%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
9 deaths in 2023, 6 in 2024
- West Virginia: -2%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 10 | 10 |
| 2021 | 9 | 9 |
| 2022 | 13 | 11 |
| 2023 | 9 | 7 |
| 2024 | 6 | 6 |
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 | 16.8 |
| 2021 | 15.2 |
| 2022 | 22.2 |
| 2023 | 15.5 |
| 2024 | 10.4 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
17%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 1.7 times the share in West Virginia: 10%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 1 |
| Pedestrians | 1 |
| Motorcyclists | 3 |
| Cyclists | 1 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Mercer County | Share in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 1 | 17% | 10% |
| Motorcyclists | 3 | 50% | 15% |
| Cyclists | 1 | 17% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 2 | 33% | 30% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 2 | 33% | 30% |
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
33%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 1.1 times the share in West Virginia: 30%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 28%
33%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About 1.1 times the share in West Virginia: 30%
- About 1.3 times the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Mercer County | West Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 33.3% | 30.3% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 33.3% | 30.3% | 28.1% |
| At night | 50.0% | 42.9% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 33.3% | 35.7% | 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 1.2 times the share in West Virginia: 43%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 54%
33%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About the same as the share in West Virginia: 36%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 1 |
| 1am | 0 |
| 2am | 1 |
| 3am | 1 |
| 4am | 0 |
| 5am | 0 |
| 6am | 0 |
| 7am | 0 |
| 8am | 1 |
| 9am | 2 |
| 10am | 3 |
| 11am | 1 |
| 12pm | 4 |
| 1pm | 4 |
| 2pm | 4 |
| 3pm | 4 |
| 4pm | 3 |
| 5pm | 3 |
| 6pm | 1 |
| 7pm | 1 |
| 8pm | 4 |
| 9pm | 3 |
| 10pm | 1 |
| 11pm | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 8 |
| Mon | 6 |
| Tue | 7 |
| Wed | 5 |
| Thu | 6 |
| Fri | 4 |
| Sat | 7 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 6 |
| Feb | 3 |
| Mar | 4 |
| Apr | 3 |
| May | 4 |
| Jun | 4 |
| Jul | 3 |
| Aug | 4 |
| Sep | 2 |
| Oct | 4 |
| Nov | 3 |
| Dec | 3 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 31 |
| Rain | 6 |
| Cloudy | 5 |
| Snow | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 31 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 9 |
| Dark - Lighted | 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-777
- US-4604
- SR-103
- SR-1043
- US-523
- SR-20 HINTON RD2
- CR-15 SIMMONS RIVER RD1
- US-460 BIG LAUREL HWY1
- SR-104 OAKVALE RD1
- SR-112 KELLYSVILLE RD1
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 23 |
| SUVs | 19 |
| Motorcycles | 9 |
| Other vehicles | 6 |
| Pickup trucks | 5 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 3 |
| Vans | 3 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Ford Focus4
- Jeep Grand Cherokee3
- Chevrolet Malibu2
- Ford Explorer2
- Toyota Corolla2
- Toyota Sequoia2
- Cadillac SRX1
- Chevrolet Cobalt1
- Chevrolet Express1
- Chevrolet Impala1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2024 | — | SR-112 KELLYSVILLE RD | 1 |
| Jul 13, 2024 | Bluefield | MARLYLAND AVE | 1 |
| Jun 23, 2024 | Lerona | SR-20 HINTON RD | 1 |
| Jun 4, 2024 | Bluefield | CR-23/1 | 1 |
| Apr 25, 2024 | Princeton | SR-104 | 1 |
| Mar 12, 2024 | Princeton | SR-104 OAKVALE RD | 1 |
| Nov 25, 2023 | Athens | SR-20 HINTON RD | 1 |
| Oct 25, 2023 | Athens | I-77 WV TURNPIKE | 1 |
| Sep 23, 2023 | Princeton | CR-16 | 1 |
| Aug 28, 2023 | — | I-77 | 2 |
| Jul 20, 2023 | Montcalm | CR-11 CRANE CREEK RD | 1 |
| Mar 16, 2023 | Bluefield | US-460 BIG LAUREL HWY | 2 |
| Feb 12, 2023 | Princeton | SR-20 - THORN ST | 1 |
| Dec 3, 2022 | — | CR-15 SIMMONS RIVER RD | 2 |
| Nov 21, 2022 | Oakvale | CR-22 LOVERN RD | 1 |
| Aug 31, 2022 | Princeton | SR-10 | 1 |
| Aug 21, 2022 | Bluefield | BRIERWOOD LN | 1 |
| May 23, 2022 | Bluefield | US-52 | 1 |
| May 14, 2022 | Princeton | I-77 | 1 |
| May 8, 2022 | Princeton | SR-20 | 1 |
| Apr 23, 2022 | Oakvale | US-460 | 2 |
| Feb 16, 2022 | Princeton | I-77 | 1 |
| Feb 3, 2022 | — | I-77 | 1 |
| Jan 7, 2022 | Bluefield | I-77 | 1 |
| Dec 17, 2021 | Princeton | CR-19/33 | 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.