Cerro Gordo, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cerro Gordo: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cerro Gordo and Columbus County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Columbus County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 6.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Columbus County compares with North Carolina
Columbus County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Columbus County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Columbus County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 105.3 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.2 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 2.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.87 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.8% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.2% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 90% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.3% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.9% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 34% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.5% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.5% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Columbus County sits below North Carolina on on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Columbus County at a glance: 6.2 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 2.5 in North Carolina.
Overview
Police reported 611 crashes involving commercial trucks in Columbus County since 2015: 526 people were injured and 36 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
Cerro Gordo had 11 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Columbus County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is July with 10.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 7.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.5% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 9.7% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.2% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
SR-410 leads within 10 miles of Cerro Gordo with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-140 (1), SR-242 (1) and Ssr-1004 Rough And Ready Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 26 crashes, 4.3% of the total, against 2.6% across North Carolina.
Their busiest month is February, with 23% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 4.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 6.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Cerro Gordo fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to SR-410 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in February; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 Columbus County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-410 | 2 |
| SR-140 | 1 |
| SR-242 | 1 |
| Ssr-1004 Rough And Ready Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-1352 Cherry Grove Rd | 1 |
| US-74 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Columbus County) |
|---|---|
| International Paper | 7 |
| Love Mill Rd | 6 |
| Jk Powell Blvd | 5 |
| Joe Brown Hwy | 3 |
| N Brown St | 3 |
| N Jk Powell Blvd | 3 |
| Han-Dee Hugo | 2 |
| Hickman Rd | 2 |
Cerro Gordo at a glance
| Population | 143 |
| Land area | 0.8 sq mi |
| Density | 181 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28430) | $68,356 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Columbus 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 | 27 | — | 3.6 |
| 2000s | 35 | +30% | 2.3 |
| 2010s | 52 | +49% | 2.5 |
| 2020s | 47 | -11% | 2.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 27 a year in the 1990s and 47 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.2 a year in 2016–19, 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cerro Gordo
How many truck crashes happen in Cerro Gordo?
611 truck crashes have been reported in Columbus County since 2015, with 36 deaths and 526 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Cerro Gordo?
NHTSA data shows SR-410 with 2 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Cerro Gordo since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Cerro Gordo?
July has the most truck crashes in Columbus County, 10.5% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Cerro Gordo?
Garbage trucks were involved in 26 reported crashes in Columbus County since 2015 (4.3% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Cerro Gordo compare with North Carolina?
Per 100,000 residents, Columbus County has 105.3 truck crashes a year; North Carolina has 61.3.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Cerro Gordo?
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.