Truck accident statistics for Pierce County, Washington (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Pierce County by year

Truck accident deaths rose from 2 in 2020 to 11 in 2021, fell to 10 in 2022 and 6 in 2023, then rose to 10 in 2024. The highest count was 11 in 2021; the lowest was 2 in 2020. The 2024 count was 8 deaths higher than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The corresponding shares of all traffic deaths were 2.7%, 11.2%, 11.5%, 5.2% and 9.8%, respectively. Although 2021 had the highest truck accident death count, 2022 had the highest share. All traffic deaths numbered 73 in 2020, 98 in 2021, 87 in 2022, 116 in 2023 and 102 in 2024. These annual counts describe deaths at crash locations within Pierce County.^{[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 Pierce County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 9 deaths, or 23.1%. People in other vehicles accounted for 27 deaths, or 69.2%, the largest share of truck accident deaths. The row labeled "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 3 deaths, or 7.7%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

That quoted label identifies the FARS nonoccupant grouping, including pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. The other category can include occupants of parked motor vehicles, so the label is not a literal test of whether someone was outside a vehicle. These categories cover deaths from 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Fatal truck accidents in Pierce County involved 42 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors, described as semi or tractor-trailer units, numbered 23 and represented 54.8% of those trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 19. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Each figure in the trucks table counts vehicles rather than crashes or deaths. A truck accident can involve multiple large trucks. The 42 large trucks therefore remain a distinct measure from the county's 38 fatal crashes and 39 deaths during the period.^{[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 11 deaths (28.2%), head-on 7 (17.9%), rear-end 8 (20.5%) and sideswipe 0 (0.0%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 13 deaths (33.3%). This means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport; examples include striking a pedestrian, cyclist, parked vehicle or fixed object, or a rollover. A vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separately, truck accident deaths by crash configuration were single-vehicle, 6 (15.4%); two-vehicle, 25 (64.1%); and three or more vehicles, 8 (20.5%). These shares classify deaths by the number of vehicles involved, rather than by manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate truck accident deaths numbered 10, or 25.6% of the county's total for 2020 through 2024. The listed route-coded count for I-5 was 10 deaths. These interstate figures require interstate route coding and a parseable I-route number; the listed route is 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 28 deaths (71.8%). Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 11 (28.2%). Urban locations recorded 30 deaths (76.9%), while rural locations recorded 9 (23.1%). Work-zone truck accident deaths numbered 2; that figure counts deaths rather than trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with Washington and the United States

Pierce County's truck accident death rate was 0.8 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Washington's rate was 1.0, and the national rate was 1.6. The county rate was lower than both. Among the listed neighboring counties, King County had a rate of 0.6 and Yakima County had a rate of 2.6. Pierce County's rate was higher than King's and lower than Yakima'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, the grouping to keep in mind is crash location, not the home county of the people killed.^{[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 FARS is a 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. Counts follow the county where the crash happened, not where those killed lived. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded.^[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. The separate July 1, 2024 population estimate of 939,786 is not the denominator. Rates do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• Truck accident statistics for Yakima County, Washington (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for King County, Washington (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Car accident statistics for Pierce County, Washington (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)