Truck accident statistics for Columbia County, Wisconsin (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Columbia County by year

Annual truck accident deaths fell from 8 in 2020 to 7 in 2021, then to 3 in 2022 and 0 in 2023. The count rose to 2 in 2024. The highest year was 2020, while 2023 had the lowest count. Comparing the endpoints, the 2024 count was 6 deaths lower than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The yearly shares of all traffic deaths followed the same direction: 57.1% in 2020, 50.0% in 2021, 30.0% in 2022, 0.0% in 2023 and 16.7% in 2024. All traffic deaths numbered 14 in 2020, 14 in 2021, 10 in 2022, 6 in 2023 and 12 in 2024. The truck accident counts cover deaths in fatal crashes involving large trucks.^{[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 Columbia County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 2 deaths, or 10.0%, while People in other vehicles accounted for 16 deaths, or 80.0%. People in other vehicles were the largest category of truck accident deaths during 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 2 deaths, or 10.0%. This label represents the FARS nonoccupant grouping, including pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. The other category can include occupants of motor vehicles not in transport, such as parked vehicles. It is not a literal test of whether someone was outside a vehicle.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Fatal crashes in Columbia County involved 20 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors (semi or tractor-trailer units) numbered 11, representing 55.0% of those trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 9. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

These are vehicle counts, distinct from the 15 fatal crashes and 20 truck accident deaths recorded for the period. A crash can involve multiple large trucks, so the truck total does not represent a count of separate crashes. The truck-tractor share likewise describes vehicles, rather than the share of 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) accounted for 7 deaths (35.0%), head-on for 2 (10.0%), rear-end for 5 (25.0%) and sideswipe for 3 (15.0%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" accounted for 3 (15.0%). That row means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, including events such as rollovers or impacts with parked vehicles. Vehicles stopped in traffic can be in transport.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separately, truck accident deaths by crash configuration were single-vehicle, 2 (10.0%); two-vehicle, 11 (55.0%); and three or more vehicles, 7 (35.0%). Configuration counts involved vehicles; it is separate from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate-coded truck accident deaths numbered 6, or 30.0%, during 2020 through 2024. The listed I-39 count was 6 deaths. These figures require interstate route coding and a parseable interstate 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 17 deaths (85.0%). Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 3 (15.0%). Urban locations recorded 2 deaths (10.0%), and rural locations recorded 18 (90.0%). 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 Wisconsin and the United States

Columbia County's truck accident death rate was 6.9 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Wisconsin's rate was 1.5, and the United States rate was 1.6. The county rate was higher than both. The corresponding death counts were 20 for Columbia County, 438 for Wisconsin and 27,553 nationally. No neighboring county rates are supplied in the packet.^{[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 a reader searching for a truck accident lawyer, the grouping to keep in mind is crash location: these deaths are assigned to the county where the crash happened.^{[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 recorded in FARS as a census. To qualify for inclusion, a crash must involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and the death of an occupant or nonoccupant within 30 days. Neither nonfatal crashes nor injuries are included. Counts for each county are assigned according to where the crash occurred, not where the deceased person resided.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 records are Final Files. The 2024 Annual Report File can change when replaced by the Final File. Rates use deaths divided by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025, multiplied by 100,000. The separately shown July 1, 2024 population estimate of 58,005 is not the rate denominator.^[9][6][7][8]