St. Helena, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in St. Helena: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in St. Helena and Pender County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Pender County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
11 of 535 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Pender County compares with North Carolina
Pender County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2024 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Pender County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2024) | Pender County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 68.5 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.2 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.74 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 19% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.8% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 52% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.3% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 7% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.1% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 23% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.0% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.3% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
Compared with North Carolina, Pender County is lower on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
St. Helena at a glance: US-421 4 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of St. Helena.
Overview
Police reported 535 crashes involving commercial trucks in Pender County since 2015: 392 people were injured and 23 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 8 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in St. Helena since 2015; patterns below come from Pender County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 10.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 7.1%.
November through March accounts for 41.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in North Carolina.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 10.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
US-421 leads within 10 miles of St. Helena with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-40 (3), SR-53 (2) and US-117 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 11 crashes, 2.1% of the total, against 2.6% across North Carolina.
Route planning tips for St. Helena fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along US-421; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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.
Crash reporting for 2025 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Pender County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-421 | 4 |
| I-40 | 3 |
| SR-53 | 2 |
| US-117 | 2 |
| SR-210 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Pender County) |
|---|---|
| Nc Hwy 53 | 3 |
| Private Property | 3 |
| Alderman St | 2 |
| E Bridgers St | 2 |
| Phoenix Travel Mart | 2 |
| W Wilmington St | 2 |
| Berkshire Dr. | 1 |
| Coastal Car Care Pva | 1 |
St. Helena at a glance
| Population | 437 |
| Land area | 5.6 sq mi |
| Density | 78 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28425) | $66,478 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28425) | $192,761 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Pender 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 | — | 2.1 |
| 2000s | 29 | +8% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 43 | +47% | 1.6 |
| 2020s | 43 | +0% | 1.6 |
In the 1990s about 27 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 43. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.0 a year in 2016–19, 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about St. Helena
How many truck crashes happen in St. Helena?
Since 2015, 535 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Pender County (392 injured, 23 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in St. Helena?
US-421 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of St. Helena since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in St. Helena?
The worst month is August: 10.1% of truck crashes in Pender County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in St. Helena?
Garbage trucks were involved in 11 reported crashes in Pender County since 2015 (2.1% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in St. Helena compare with North Carolina?
Pender County records 68.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in St. Helena?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2025; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.