Mitchell, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Mitchell: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Mitchell and Lawrence County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lawrence County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
11 of 231 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Lawrence County compares with Indiana
Lawrence County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2024 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lawrence County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2024) | Lawrence County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 49.2 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 39% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.0 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.36 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.0% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.5% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 67% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.5% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.5% | 17.4% | 13.8% | 17% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.0% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 24.5% | 32.0% | 24.8% | 23% below the state |
Compared with Indiana, Lawrence County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Lawrence County: 1 in 20 garbage-truck share of crashes is 5.0%, against 2.4% for Indiana.
Overview
Lawrence County has recorded 231 truck crashes since 2015, with 96 people injured and 9 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 16 days in fully reported years.
Only 48 truck crashes were reported in Mitchell since 2015; patterns below come from Lawrence County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 9.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 6.9%.
November through March accounts for 38.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Indiana.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (9.1%).
3.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 10.6% across Indiana.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Mitchell is SR-60, with 2 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by 16th St (1), John Williams (1) and SR-37 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 11 crashes, 4.8% of the total, against 2.4% across Indiana.
Route planning tips for Mitchell fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lawrence County.
- Look at alternatives to SR-60 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 29.5% of truck crashes here, more than Indiana; adjust start times where you can.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Crash reporting for 2020 and 2025 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Lawrence County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-60 | 2 |
| 16th St | 1 |
| John Williams | 1 |
| SR-37 | 1 |
| SR-37N | 1 |
| US-50 | 1 |
| US-50E | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lawrence County) |
|---|---|
| US-50 | 20 |
| SR-37N | 17 |
| State Rd 37 | 15 |
| SR-37S | 14 |
| US-50E | 13 |
| SR-37 | 9 |
| State Road 37 | 9 |
| SR-54W | 6 |
Mitchell at a glance
| Population | 3,964 |
| Land area | 3.6 sq mi |
| Density | 1,103 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 47446) | $50,337 |
| Median home value (ZIP 47446) | $141,180 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lawrence 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 | 7 | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 19 | +180% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 21 | +12% | 1.0 |
| 2020s | 22 | +0% | 0.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 7 to 22. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.5 a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Mitchell
How many truck crashes happen in Mitchell?
231 truck crashes have been reported in Lawrence County since 2015, with 9 deaths and 96 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Mitchell?
NHTSA data shows SR-60 with 2 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Mitchell since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Mitchell?
August has the most truck crashes in Lawrence County, 9.5% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Mitchell?
Garbage trucks were involved in 11 reported crashes in Lawrence County since 2015 (4.8% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Mitchell compared with Indiana?
The yearly rate is 49.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Lawrence County, vs 80.8 for Indiana.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Mitchell?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2020 and 2025; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.