Truck accident statistics for Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Westmoreland County by year

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

The share of all traffic deaths attributed to truck accidents was 17.9% in 2020, 13.9% in 2021, 15.6% in 2022, 9.4% in 2023 and 14.3% in 2024. All traffic deaths numbered 39 in 2020, 36 in 2021, 32 in 2022, 32 in 2023 and 28 in 2024.^{[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 Westmoreland County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 5 deaths, or 20.8%. People in other vehicles accounted for 16 deaths, or 66.7%, the largest share of truck accident deaths. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 3 deaths, or 12.5%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

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

The trucks involved

Fatal truck accidents involved 26 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors, described in the table as semi or tractor-trailer units, numbered 17 and represented 65.4% of those trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 9. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 3.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

These are vehicle counts, distinct from the 21 fatal crashes and 24 deaths in the county's truck accident figures. A crash can involve multiple large trucks. The jackknifed figure likewise counts trucks; it is not a count of crashes or people killed.^{[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) recorded 2 deaths (8.3%); head-on, 5 (20.8%); rear-end, 5 (20.8%); sideswipe, 2 (8.3%); and other, 4 (16.7%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 6 deaths (25.0%). This 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. A vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separate truck accident configuration figures record single-vehicle deaths at 4 (16.7%), two-vehicle deaths at 12 (50.0%), and deaths in crashes involving three or more vehicles at 8 (33.3%). These shares classify vehicle involvement separately from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate truck accident deaths numbered 9, or 37.5%. The listed route-coded counts were 7 deaths on I-76 and 2 on I-70. These figures require ROUTE=1 and a parseable I-route number in TWAY_ID; the listed routes are a route-coded subset, not a full road network.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime, from 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., recorded 13 deaths (54.2%). Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., recorded 11 (45.8%). Urban locations recorded 8 deaths (33.3%), while rural locations recorded 16 (66.7%). The work-zone figure was 1 death, a count of people killed rather than trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with Pennsylvania and the United States

Westmoreland County's truck accident death rate was 1.4 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents. Pennsylvania's rate was 1.3, and the national rate was 1.6. The county rate was higher than the state rate and lower than the national rate. Among the listed neighboring counties, Allegheny County had a rate of 0.6, lower than Westmoreland County's 1.4.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The corresponding death counts for 2020 through 2024 were 24 in Westmoreland County, 826 in Pennsylvania, 27,553 nationally and 37 in Allegheny County. These rates use deaths at crash locations and annual population estimates. They do not adjust for miles driven or visitors. For readers searching "truck accident lawyer," the counts remain grouped by crash location.^{[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 a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes on trafficways customarily open to the public, with an occupant or nonoccupant death within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. County counts identify where crashes happened, not where people killed lived. The 2020 through 2023 records are Final Files; 2024 uses the Annual Report File and may change when replaced by the Final File.^[9][6][7][8]

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 adjustment for miles driven or visitors. The separate July 1, 2024 population estimate of 350,473 is not the rate denominator.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• Truck accident statistics for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (2020-2024)