Whitesburg, KY truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Whitesburg: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Whitesburg and Letcher County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Letcher County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 112 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Letcher County compares with Kentucky
Letcher County against Kentucky and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Letcher County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Letcher County | Kentucky | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 48.3 | 68.4 | 49.7 | 29% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.4 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.75 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 1.6× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.9% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 29% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.7% | 5.0% | 6.2% | 25% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.4% | 22.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.6% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 29.9% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 27% below the state |
| After dark | 14.0% | 24.4% | 24.8% | 43% below the state |
Compared with Kentucky, Letcher County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Letcher County: 8.4 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 3.5 across Kentucky.
Overview
Since 2015, 112 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Letcher County. They injured 82 people and killed 9.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 38 days.
With 24 truck crashes reported in Whitesburg since 2015, this page uses Letcher County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 16.1% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (2.7%).
November through March accounts for 29.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in Kentucky.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, with 14.3% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 3.7% of truck crashes, compared with 5.0% in Kentucky.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Whitesburg since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-15 (3) and US-119 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.8% share (Kentucky: 2.6%).
Route planning tips for Whitesburg fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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 Letcher County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-15 | 3 |
| US-119 | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Letcher County) |
|---|---|
| US-0119 | 31 |
| US-0023 | 24 |
| Ky0015 | 18 |
| Ky0007 | 11 |
| Ky0160 | 5 |
| Ky0806 | 4 |
| Ky0113 | 2 |
| Ky0463 | 2 |
Whitesburg at a glance
| Population | 1,625 |
| Land area | 3.1 sq mi |
| Density | 519 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 41858) | $45,933 |
| Median home value (ZIP 41858) | $86,098 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Letcher 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 | — | 1.8 |
| 2000s | 26 | +270% | 1.6 |
| 2010s | 14 | -46% | 0.8 |
| 2020s | 9 | -35% | 0.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 7 a year in the 1990s and 9 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Whitesburg
How many truck accidents are there in Whitesburg?
112 truck crashes have been reported in Letcher County since 2015, with 9 deaths and 82 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Whitesburg?
October has the most truck crashes in Letcher County, 16.1% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Whitesburg?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Letcher County since 2015 (1.8% of truck crashes).
How does Whitesburg compare with Kentucky for truck crashes?
Letcher County records 48.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.4 across Kentucky.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Whitesburg?
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.