Princeton, MO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Princeton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Princeton and Mercer County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Mercer County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 41 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Mercer County compares with Missouri
Mercer County against Missouri and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Mercer County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Mercer County | Missouri | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 100.1 | 85.9 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.9 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 2.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.45 | 0.44 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 13.2% | 7.2% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 15.8% | 22.8% | 23.7% | 31% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.5% | 10.7% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.1% | 40.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.7% | 24.7% | 24.8% | same |
Mercer County has lower values than Missouri for garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
Mercer County at a glance: 7.9 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 2.7 across Missouri.
Overview
Police reported 41 crashes involving commercial trucks in Mercer County since 2015: 17 people were injured and 3 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 106 days in fully reported years.
Princeton had 10 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Mercer County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (17.1% of the year) and are lowest in July (4.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.1% of truck crashes, against 40.7% across Missouri.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 17.1% of truck crashes.
13.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 7.2% across Missouri.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Princeton since 2015: US-136 (2) and US-65 (2). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Since 2015, no garbage-truck crashes were reported for Mercer County.
Route planning tips for Princeton fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 13.2% of truck crashes here, more than Missouri; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Mercer County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-136 | 2 |
| US-65 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Mercer County) |
|---|---|
| US-65 | 14 |
| US-136 | 13 |
| Rt K | 3 |
| Crd Bugle Ave. | 1 |
| Crd Essex Pl | 1 |
| Cst N Steward St | 1 |
| Rt M | 1 |
Princeton at a glance
| Population | 983 |
| Land area | 1.6 sq mi |
| Density | 619 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 64673) | $61,364 |
| Median home value (ZIP 64673) | $104,465 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Mercer 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 | 8 | — | 0.1 |
| 2000s | 3 | -60% | 0.1 |
| 2010s | 3 | -12% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 4 | +17% | 0.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 8 a year in the 1990s and 4 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 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Princeton
How many truck accidents are there in Princeton?
Mercer County has had 41 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 17 people and killing 3.
When do most truck crashes happen in Princeton?
September has the most truck crashes in Mercer County, 17.1% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Princeton?
0 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Mercer County since 2015, 0.0% of all truck crashes.
How does Princeton compare with Missouri for truck crashes?
Mercer County records 100.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 85.9 across Missouri.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Princeton?
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.