Otter Lake, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Otter Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Otter Lake and LaGrange County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use LaGrange County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6 of 614 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How LaGrange County compares with Indiana
LaGrange County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where LaGrange County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | LaGrange County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 129.3 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 2.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.39 | 0.36 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.0% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 56% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.8% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.8% | 22.4% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.7% | 17.4% | 13.8% | 10% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.6% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 34.7% | 32.0% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Compared with Indiana, LaGrange County is lower on garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Indiana on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for LaGrange County: 6.5 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 2.9 in Indiana.
Overview
LaGrange County has recorded 614 truck crashes since 2015, with 240 people injured and 39 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 7 days.
Otter Lake had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use LaGrange County numbers.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 12.7% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (6.2%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.6% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Indiana.
By time of day, 12–1 am stands out with 9.3% of truck crashes.
12.8% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 10.6% across Indiana.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, Us- 20 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). It is followed by I-80 (3), I-69 (1) and SR-120 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 6 of the truck crashes here, or 1.0%, compared with 2.4% in Indiana.
Route planning tips for Otter Lake fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along Us- 20; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 12.8% of truck crashes here, more than Indiana; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 LaGrange County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Us- 20 | 4 |
| I-80 | 3 |
| I-69 | 1 |
| SR-120 | 1 |
| SR-3 | 1 |
| SR-327 | 1 |
| US-20 | 1 |
| US-20W | 1 |
| Wendell Jacob Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (LaGrange County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 215 |
| US-20 | 92 |
| SR-5 | 20 |
| US-20W | 20 |
| SR-120 | 17 |
| SR-9 | 12 |
| I-80W | 10 |
| I-80E | 10 |
Otter Lake at a glance
| Land area | 0.5 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in LaGrange 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 | 23 | — | 2.2 |
| 2000s | 48 | +111% | 1.2 |
| 2010s | 49 | +1% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 54 | +12% | 3.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 23 a year in the 1990s and 54 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 2.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Otter Lake
How many truck crashes happen in Otter Lake?
LaGrange County has had 614 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 240 people and killing 39.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Otter Lake?
Us- 20 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Otter Lake since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Otter Lake?
January has the most truck crashes in LaGrange County, 12.7% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Otter Lake?
Since 2015, LaGrange County has reported 6 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.0% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Otter Lake compare with Indiana?
The yearly rate is 129.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in LaGrange County, vs 80.8 for Indiana.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Otter Lake?
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.