Truck accident statistics for Shelby County, Tennessee (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Shelby County by year

Annual truck accident deaths rose from 15 in 2020 to 28 in 2021, then fell to 19 in 2022 and 16 in 2023. The count rose to 23 in 2024. The highest count was 28 in 2021, and the lowest was 15 in 2020. The 2024 count was 8 deaths higher than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The share of all traffic deaths attributed to these crashes was 6.1% in 2020, 11.0% in 2021, 7.7% in 2022, 6.2% in 2023 and 10.6% in 2024. All traffic deaths numbered 246, 255, 246, 259 and 218 in those respective years. The highest truck accident death share occurred in 2021.^{[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 Shelby County truck accidents

People in other vehicles accounted for 82 deaths, or 81.2%, the largest person category for 2020 through 2024. People in the large truck accounted for 8 deaths, or 7.9%. These truck accident counts include people across the person categories, rather than truck occupants alone.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" records 11 deaths, or 10.9%. This is the FARS nonoccupant grouping, including pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. The label is not a literal test of being outside a vehicle: the other category can include occupants of parked motor vehicles.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Fatal crashes in Shelby County involved 100 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors, described in the table as semi or tractor-trailer units, numbered 59 and represented 59.0% of those trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 41. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 3.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

These are vehicle counts, distinct from the 94 fatal crashes and 101 truck accident deaths recorded for the period. A crash can involve multiple large trucks. The truck-tractor share therefore describes the trucks involved, rather than 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. Angle (side impact) recorded 45 deaths (44.6%), head-on 11 (10.9%), rear-end 21 (20.8%), sideswipe 5 (5.0%) and not reported 2 (2.0%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 17 (16.8%). That row means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, including events such as striking a pedestrian, cyclist, parked vehicle or fixed object, or a rollover. A vehicle stopped in traffic can be in transport.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separately, crash configuration classified truck accident deaths as single-vehicle, 12 (11.9%); two-vehicle, 70 (69.3%); and three or more vehicles, 19 (18.8%). Those shares describe the number of vehicles in the crash, distinct from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate-coded crashes accounted for 33 truck accident deaths (32.7%). The listed route counts were I-40 with 19 deaths, I-240 with 8 and I-55 with 6. These figures require interstate route coding and a parseable I-route number; the listed routes are a coded subset, not a full road network.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.) recorded 48 deaths (47.5%), and nighttime (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) recorded 53 (52.5%). Urban locations recorded 98 deaths (97.0%); rural locations recorded 3 (3.0%). Work-zone deaths numbered 5. Each figure counts deaths, rather than trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with Tennessee and the United States

Shelby County's truck accident death rate was 2.2 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Tennessee's rate was 2.4, and the United States rate was 1.6. The county rate was lower than the state rate and higher than the national rate. Listed neighboring Crittenden County, Arkansas, had a rate of 8.5, higher than Shelby County's rate.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

These rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates and multiply by 100,000. They do not adjust for miles driven or visitors. For readers searching for a truck accident lawyer, the counts used here are grouped by crash location, not by where the people killed 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

Fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes are enumerated in FARS, a census. To qualify for inclusion, a crash must involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public, with an occupant or nonoccupant dying within 30 days. The crash location determines where a crash is counted, rather than the deceased person's residence. Neither nonfatal crashes nor injuries are included.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 records are FARS Final Files. The 2024 Annual Report File can change when replaced by the Final File. Rates use 2020 through 2024 deaths divided by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025, multiplied by 100,000. This gives average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjustment for miles driven or visitors. The separately shown July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the rate denominator.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• Truck accident statistics for Crittenden County, Arkansas (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Car accident statistics for Shelby County, Tennessee (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)