St. Elmo, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in St. Elmo: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in St. Elmo and Fayette County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Fayette County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 495 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Fayette County compares with Illinois
Fayette County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Fayette County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Fayette County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 198.5 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 3.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.1 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.50 | 0.49 | 16% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.4% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 68% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.3% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.6% | 24.3% | 23.7% | 24% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.8% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.9% | 42.0% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 32.2% | 24.1% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Fayette County has lower values than Illinois for injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
Fayette County at a glance: 1 in 233 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 0.4%, vs 1.4% in Illinois.
Overview
Police reported 495 crashes involving commercial trucks in Fayette County since 2015: 223 people were injured and 20 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 9 days.
Only 7 truck crashes were reported in St. Elmo since 2015; patterns below come from Fayette County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in May (11.3% of the year) and are lowest in September (3.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 45.9% of truck crashes, vs 42.0% for Illinois.
More truck crashes happen at 4–5 pm than at any other hour (8.1%).
Road surface: 14.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Illinois: 9.0%).
Where crashes happen
I-70 leads within 10 miles of St. Elmo with 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come US-40 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 2 crashes, 0.4% of the total, against 1.4% across Illinois.
Route planning tips for St. Elmo fleets
- Review driver schedules for May, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-70; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- 14.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Illinois; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Fayette County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-70 | 8 |
| US-40 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Fayette County) |
|---|---|
| I-70 | 269 |
| I-57 | 50 |
| US-51 | 19 |
| US-40 | 9 |
| I-070 | 7 |
| Mp I070 64 | 5 |
| Il-185 | 4 |
| N 2125 St | 4 |
St. Elmo at a glance
| Population | 1,243 |
| Land area | 1.5 sq mi |
| Density | 838 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 62458) | $48,810 |
| Median home value (ZIP 62458) | $128,841 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Fayette 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 | 16 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 24 | +51% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 40 | +63% | 1.4 |
| 2020s | 41 | +3% | 1.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 16 to 41. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 2.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about St. Elmo
How many truck crashes happen in St. Elmo?
495 truck crashes have been reported in Fayette County since 2015, with 20 deaths and 223 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in St. Elmo?
NHTSA data shows I-70 with 8 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of St. Elmo since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in St. Elmo?
May has the most truck crashes in Fayette County, 11.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in St. Elmo?
Since 2015, Fayette County has reported 2 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.4% of its truck crashes.
How does St. Elmo compare with Illinois for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Fayette County has 198.5 truck crashes a year; Illinois has 56.0.
How can I plan a safer truck route in St. Elmo?
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.