Hartz Lake, IN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Hartz Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Hartz Lake and Pulaski County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Pulaski County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
10 of 160 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Pulaski County compares with Indiana
Pulaski County against Indiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Pulaski County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Pulaski County | Indiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 112.7 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.8 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 2.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.36 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 6.5% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 8.4% | 10.6% | 6.2% | 20% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.2% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.7% | 17.4% | 13.8% | 33% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.5% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.4% | 32.0% | 24.8% | 27% below the state |
Pulaski County has lower values than Indiana for on snow, slush or ice, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. It runs above Indiana on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Pulaski County: 1 in 15 crashes involve a garbage truck (10 since 2015), vs 2.4% across Indiana.
Overview
Police reported 160 crashes involving commercial trucks in Pulaski County since 2015: 61 people were injured and 12 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 26 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Hartz Lake since 2015; patterns below come from Pulaski County as a whole.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 14.4% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (3.1%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.5% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Indiana.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (13.1%).
8.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 10.6% across Indiana.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Hartz Lake happened on SR-14 (2), CR-700 (1) and SR-8 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 10 of the truck crashes here, or 6.2%, compared with 2.4% in Indiana.
Route planning tips for Hartz Lake fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 29.2% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Indiana; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Pulaski County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-14 | 2 |
| CR-700 | 1 |
| SR-8 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Pulaski County) |
|---|---|
| US-421S | 26 |
| US-421N | 20 |
| US-421 | 12 |
| SR-14W | 10 |
| US-35 | 8 |
| US-35N | 8 |
| US-35S | 7 |
| SR-14 | 5 |
Hartz Lake at a glance
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 46960) | $45,625 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Pulaski 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 | 5 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 11 | +117% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 13 | +12% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 13 | +4% | 0.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 5 a year in the 1990s and 13 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Hartz Lake
How common are truck crashes in Hartz Lake?
Since 2015, 160 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Pulaski County (61 injured, 12 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Hartz Lake?
December has the most truck crashes in Pulaski County, 14.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Hartz Lake?
Garbage trucks were involved in 10 reported crashes in Pulaski County since 2015 (6.2% of truck crashes).
How does Hartz Lake compare with Indiana for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Pulaski County has 112.7 truck crashes a year; Indiana has 80.8.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Hartz Lake?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.