Carthage, MS truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Carthage: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Carthage and Leake County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Leake County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 154 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Leake County compares with Mississippi
Leake County against Mississippi and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Leake County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Leake County | Mississippi | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 61.0 | 65.0 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.6 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.56 | 0.54 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.1% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.4% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 19% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.7% | 23.7% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.2% | 12.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.8% | 40.8% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 26.4% | 24.0% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Leake County sits below Mississippi on on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Carthage: SR-16 deadliest road: 3 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Carthage since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 154 crashes involving commercial trucks in Leake County since 2015: 86 people were injured and 8 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 28 days.
Carthage had 34 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Leake County numbers.
23% of truck crash reports in Leake County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
November has the most truck crashes, 11.7% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (5.2%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.8% of truck crashes, against 40.8% across Mississippi.
The busiest hour is 5–6 pm, with 10.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 1.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Mississippi: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-16 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). It is followed by SR-35 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.9% share (Mississippi: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Carthage fleets
- Review driver schedules for November, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to SR-16 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 25.7% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Mississippi; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Leake County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-16 | 3 |
| SR-35 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Leake County) |
|---|---|
| SR-35 | 4 |
| Ms Highway 16 | 3 |
| SR-16 | 3 |
| Red Dog Road | 2 |
| Battle Bluff Rd | 1 |
| County Line Rd | 1 |
| Dennis Rd | 1 |
| Gunter Road | 1 |
Carthage at a glance
| Population | 4,855 |
| Land area | 9.3 sq mi |
| Density | 522 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 39051) | $48,547 |
| Median home value (ZIP 39051) | $120,726 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Leake 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 | 4 | — | 1.0 |
| 2000s | 10 | +133% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 12 | +25% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 15 | +24% | 1.0 |
In the 1990s about 4 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 15. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Carthage
How common are truck crashes in Carthage?
154 truck crashes have been reported in Leake County since 2015, with 8 deaths and 86 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Carthage?
NHTSA data shows SR-16 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Carthage since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Carthage?
November has the most truck crashes in Leake County, 11.7% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Carthage?
3 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Leake County since 2015, 1.9% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Carthage compare with Mississippi?
Per 100,000 residents, Leake County has 61.0 truck crashes a year; Mississippi has 65.0.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Carthage?
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.