Truck accident statistics for Lauderdale County, Mississippi (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Lauderdale County by year

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

The annual share of all traffic deaths occurring in truck accidents was 30.8% in 2020, 29.4% in 2021, 26.1% in 2022, 35.0% in 2023 and 14.3% in 2024. The highest share occurred in 2023, although 2020 had the highest truck accident death count. All traffic deaths numbered 26, 17, 23, 20 and 14 in those respective years.^{[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 Lauderdale County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 5 deaths, or 17.9%. People in other vehicles accounted for 18 deaths, or 64.3%, the largest share of truck accident deaths by person category. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 5 deaths, or 17.9%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The FARS nonoccupant grouping is what that quoted label denotes, encompassing pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. Whether someone was outside a vehicle is not literally what it tests: occupants of motor vehicles not in transport, such as parked vehicles, can fall within the other category.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

The truck accident records identify 26 large trucks involved in fatal crashes during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors (semi or tractor-trailer units) numbered 24 and represented 92.3% of those large trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 2. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

These are vehicle counts, distinct from the 23 fatal crashes and 28 deaths recorded for the period. A crash can involve multiple large trucks. The truck-tractor share describes the large trucks involved in fatal crashes; it is not a share of crashes or deaths.^{[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. Rear-end recorded 13 deaths (46.4%); head-on, 3 (10.7%); angle (side impact), 2 (7.1%); sideswipe, 2 (7.1%); and Other, 1 (3.6%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 7 deaths (25.0%). That row means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, including events such as a rollover or striking a pedestrian, cyclist, parked vehicle or fixed object. Vehicles stopped in traffic can be in transport.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separately, truck accident deaths by vehicle count were single-vehicle, 7 (25.0%); two-vehicle, 16 (57.1%); and three or more vehicles, 5 (17.9%). These configuration categories are separate from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate truck accident deaths numbered 22, or 78.6%. The listed route-coded counts were 19 deaths for I-20 and 3 for I-59. Interstate identification requires ROUTE=1 and a parseable I-route number in TWAY_ID; 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., recorded 17 deaths (60.7%). Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., recorded 11 (39.3%). Urban locations recorded 15 deaths (53.6%), and rural locations recorded 13 (46.4%). The work-zone count was 0 deaths. These figures describe deaths, not counts of trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with Mississippi and the United States

Lauderdale County's truck accident death rate was 7.8 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Mississippi's rate was 3.3, and the United States rate was 1.6. The county rate was higher than each of those rates. The corresponding death counts were 28 for Lauderdale County, 483 for Mississippi and 27,553 for the United States. No neighboring county rates are supplied in the fact sheet.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The rates use deaths divided by the sum of annual population estimates, multiplied by 100,000. They do not adjust for miles driven or visitors. For readers searching for a truck accident lawyer, the grouping to keep in mind is crash location: these counts do not identify 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

NHTSA's census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes is FARS. For inclusion, a motor vehicle must be traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public, and an occupant or nonoccupant must die within 30 days. Neither nonfatal crashes nor injuries are included. Crash location determines county counts, rather than the deceased person's residence.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files. The 2024 Annual Report File figures may change when replaced by the Final File. Rate denominators sum annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025 for 2020 through 2024. The separately shown July 1, 2024 population estimate of 70,527 is not the denominator. Rates express average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjustments for miles driven or visitors.^[9][6][7][8]