Leech Lake, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Leech Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Leech Lake and Cass County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cass County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 145 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cass County compares with Minnesota
Cass County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cass County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cass County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.9 | 39.0 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.8 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.49 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.5% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 46% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 26.7% | 25.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.8% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 17.6% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 8% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.1% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.6% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 13% below the state |
Compared with Minnesota, Cass County is lower on garbage-truck share, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Cass County: January worst month: 13.8% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Since 2015, 145 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Cass County. They injured 71 people and killed 6.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 31 days.
Only 5 truck crashes were reported in Leech Lake since 2015; patterns below come from Cass County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (13.8% of the year) and are lowest in April (2.8%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 48.1% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 10.3% of truck crashes.
26.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Leech Lake since 2015: SR-64 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.4% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for Leech Lake fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 29.8% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Minnesota; 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 Cass County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-64 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cass County) |
|---|---|
| Mnth 64 | 29 |
| Mnth 210 | 13 |
| Mnth 371 Nw | 11 |
| Mnth 371 | 11 |
| Usth 2 | 10 |
| Mnth 200 | 10 |
| Hwy Nw | 4 |
| Mnth 6 | 4 |
Leech Lake at a glance
| Population | 512 |
| Land area | 23.6 sq mi |
| Density | 22 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cass 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 | — | 1.9 |
| 2000s | 11 | +115% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 11 | +1% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 11 | -5% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 5 to 11. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Leech Lake
How common are truck crashes in Leech Lake?
145 truck crashes have been reported in Cass County since 2015, with 6 deaths and 71 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Leech Lake?
The worst month is January: 13.8% of truck crashes in Cass County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Leech Lake?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Cass County since 2015, 1.4% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Leech Lake compared with Minnesota?
Cass County records 37.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Leech Lake?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.