Etowah, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Etowah: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Etowah and Henderson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Henderson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Henderson County compares with North Carolina
Henderson County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Henderson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Henderson County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 60.9 | 61.3 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 20% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.55 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 17% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.8% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.8% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.1% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 8% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.4% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.6% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 8% below the state |
| After dark | 20.4% | 20.4% | 24.8% | same |
Henderson County sits below North Carolina on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above North Carolina on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Etowah: I-26 deadliest road: 3 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Etowah since 2015.
Overview
Henderson County has recorded 858 truck crashes since 2015, with 474 people injured and 16 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 5 days in fully reported years.
Etowah had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Henderson County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 12.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 6.1%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 37.6% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (9.4%).
Road surface: 1.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
I-26 leads within 10 miles of Etowah with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by US-25 (2), SR-191 (1) and SR-280 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 24 crashes, 2.8% of the total, against 2.6% across North Carolina.
Their busiest month is August, with 25% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 2.0 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Etowah fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-26; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 1.8% of truck crashes here, more than North Carolina; 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 Henderson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-26 | 3 |
| US-25 | 2 |
| SR-191 | 1 |
| SR-280 | 1 |
| Shadywood Ln | 1 |
| Ssr-1006 Howard Gap Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-1756 S Allen Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-1793 Tracy Grove Rd | 1 |
| US-276 | 1 |
| US-64 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Henderson County) |
|---|---|
| Mills Gap Road | 6 |
| Cane Creek Rd | 5 |
| Spartanburg Hwy | 4 |
| Mills Gap Rd | 3 |
| Underwood Rd | 3 |
| 7Th Ave | 2 |
| Asheville Highway | 2 |
| Cane Creek Industr | 2 |
Etowah at a glance
| Land area | 17.7 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28729) | $84,413 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28729) | $331,142 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Henderson 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 | 28 | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 48 | +70% | 1.9 |
| 2010s | 59 | +22% | 1.2 |
| 2020s | 77 | +31% | 1.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 28 to 77. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Etowah
How many truck crashes happen in Etowah?
858 truck crashes have been reported in Henderson County since 2015, with 16 deaths and 474 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Etowah?
I-26 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Etowah since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Etowah?
October has the most truck crashes in Henderson County, 12.4% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Etowah?
Garbage trucks were involved in 24 reported crashes in Henderson County since 2015 (2.8% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Etowah compared with North Carolina?
Henderson County records 60.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Etowah?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.