Truck accident statistics for Denver County, Colorado (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Denver County by year

Truck accident deaths rose from 2 in 2020 to 4 in 2021 and 7 in 2022. The count fell to 6 in 2023 before rising to 8 in 2024. The highest count was in 2024, and the lowest was in 2020. The 2024 count was 6 deaths higher than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The annual shares of all traffic deaths were 3.9% in 2020, 5.9% in 2021, 9.5% in 2022, 7.9% in 2023 and 12.7% in 2024. All traffic deaths numbered 51, 68, 74, 76 and 63 in those respective years. While truck accident deaths reached their highest count in 2024, all traffic deaths reached their highest count in 2023.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Deaths within 30 days in crashes on public roads. 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised.

Who died in Denver County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 2 deaths, or 7.4%. People in other vehicles accounted for 20 deaths, or 74.1%, the largest share of truck accident deaths. The category "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" accounted for 5 deaths, or 18.5%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

That quoted category is the FARS nonoccupant grouping. It includes pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. The other category can include occupants of motor vehicles not in transport, such as parked vehicles. The label therefore should not be read as a literal test of whether someone was outside a vehicle.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Fatal truck accident records for 2020 through 2024 list 26 large trucks. Of those vehicles, 10 were truck-tractors, described in the table as semi or tractor-trailer units. Truck-tractors represented 38.5% of the large trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 16. Large trucks recorded as jackknifed numbered 0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

These are vehicle counts, distinct from the 25 fatal crashes and 27 deaths recorded for the period. A truck crash can involve multiple large trucks, so the trucks table does not count a separate crash or death for each vehicle.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Counts are trucks, not crashes. One crash can involve more than one large truck.

How the fatal truck crashes happened

Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. Angle (side impact) accounted for 7 deaths (25.9%); head-on, 4 (14.8%); rear-end, 5 (18.5%); and sideswipe, 1 (3.7%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" accounted for 10 deaths (37.0%). This means no collision with another motor vehicle in transport, which can include a vehicle stopped in traffic. Examples include striking a pedestrian, parked vehicle or fixed object, or a rollover.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separately, truck accident deaths by crash configuration were 6 (22.2%) in single-vehicle crashes, 15 (55.6%) in two-vehicle crashes and 6 (22.2%) in crashes involving three or more vehicles. These death shares describe vehicle involvement, rather than manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate truck accident deaths numbered 10, representing 37.0% of the county count. The listed route-coded counts were 7 deaths on I-70 and 3 on I-25. These figures require an interstate route code and a readable I-route number; the listed routes are a coded subset, not a full road network.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime, from 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., accounted for 18 deaths (66.7%). Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 9 (33.3%). Urban locations recorded 27 deaths (100.0%), and rural locations recorded 0 (0.0%). Work-zone truck accident deaths numbered 4. The work-zone figure counts deaths, not trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with Colorado and the United States

Denver County's truck accident death rate was 0.7 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Colorado's rate was 1.6, and the national rate was 1.6. The county rate was lower than both. Among the listed neighboring counties, Adams County recorded 1.2 and Arapahoe County recorded 0.6. Denver County's rate was lower than Adams County's and higher than Arapahoe County's.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

These rates use deaths at crash locations and annual population estimates; they do not adjust for miles driven or visitors. For readers searching for a truck accident lawyer, keep the grouping in view: the counts describe where crashes happened, not where the people who died lived.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates, so they show deaths per 100,000 residents per year. They do not adjust for miles driven or for visitors.

About these figures

FARS is NHTSA's census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Inclusion requires a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and an occupant or nonoccupant death within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. County assignment follows crash location, not residence.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files. The 2024 Annual Report File can change when replaced by the Final File. Rates divide 2020 through 2024 deaths by the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025, then multiply by 100,000. This yields average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjusting for miles driven or visitors. The separate July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the rate denominator.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• Truck accident statistics for Arapahoe County, Colorado (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Adams County, Colorado (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Car accident statistics for Denver County, Colorado (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)