La Junta, CO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in La Junta: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in La Junta and Otero County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Otero County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 90 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Otero County compares with Colorado
Otero County against Colorado and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Otero County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Otero County | Colorado | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 43.0 | 32.6 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.5 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 31% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.28 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 12% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.4% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 15% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.4% | 14.8% | 6.2% | 36% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.5% | 25.7% | 23.7% | 9% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.9% | 13.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.2% | 43.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.5% | 22.4% | 24.8% | same |
Otero County sits below Colorado on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr.
Otero County at a glance: August worst month: 15.6% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Otero County has recorded 90 truck crashes since 2015, with 27 people injured and 3 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 47 days in fully reported years.
With 3 truck crashes reported in La Junta since 2015, this page uses Otero County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
82% of truck crash reports in Otero County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 15.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is June at 4.4%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.2% of truck crashes, against 43.5% across Colorado.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (10.0%).
Road surface: 9.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Colorado: 14.8%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of La Junta since 2015: US-50 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.2% share (Colorado: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for La Junta fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Otero County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-50 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Otero County) |
|---|---|
| Hwy 50 At Hwy 71 | 4 |
| Hwy 71 At Hwy 50 | 3 |
| Hwy 50 At Mp 364 | 3 |
| Hwy 10 At Mp 52 | 2 |
| Hwy 50 At Hwy 72 | 2 |
| Hwy 50 At Mp 366 | 2 |
| Hwy 50 At Mp 370 | 2 |
| Hwy 50 At Mp 381 | 2 |
La Junta at a glance
| Population | 6,986 |
| Land area | 3.2 sq mi |
| Density | 2,186 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 81077) | $48,897 |
| Median home value (ZIP 81077) | $197,190 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Otero County since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8 | — | 0.5 |
| 2000s | 8 | +1% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 8 | -1% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 8 | -7% | 0.4 |
In the 1990s about 8 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 8. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about La Junta
How many truck crashes happen in La Junta?
Otero County has had 90 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 27 people and killing 3.
Which month has the most truck crashes in La Junta?
The worst month is August: 15.6% of truck crashes in Otero County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in La Junta?
Since 2015, Otero County has reported 2 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.2% of its truck crashes.
How does La Junta compare with Colorado for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Otero County has 43.0 truck crashes a year; Colorado has 32.6.
How can I plan a safer truck route in La Junta?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.