St. Marys, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in St. Marys: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in St. Marys and Ward County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ward County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 308 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Ward County compares with North Dakota
Ward County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ward County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ward County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.6 | 73.9 | 49.7 | 45% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.33 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 25.2% | 34.4% | 6.2% | 27% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.2% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.8% | 16.2% | 13.8% | 64% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.2% | 47.2% | 41.9% | 9% below the state |
| After dark | 17.3% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 30% below the state |
Ward County sits below North Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
Ward County at a glance: August the month with the most truck crashes: 12.7% of the year's total.
Overview
Since 2015, 308 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Ward County. They injured 146 people and killed 16.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 13 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in St. Marys since 2015; patterns below come from Ward County as a whole.
72% of truck crash reports in Ward County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in August (12.7% of the year) and are lowest in October (5.8%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.2% of truck crashes, vs 47.2% for North Dakota.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 10.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 25.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Dakota: 34.4%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of St. Marys since 2015 were spread across roads: US-52 (2) and US-2 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.0% share (North Dakota: 0.9%).
Route planning tips for St. Marys fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Ward County.
- 25.2% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above North Dakota; 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
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.
Reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2020; rates and comparisons skip those years.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Ward County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-52 | 2 |
| US-2 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ward County) |
|---|---|
| US-2 | 7 |
| US-83 | 4 |
| 128Th Ave Nw | 3 |
| 13Th Ave Se | 3 |
| 27Th St Se | 2 |
| US-52 | 2 |
| - Rd | 1 |
| 100Th St Sw | 1 |
St. Marys at a glance
| Population | 48 |
| Land area | 34.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ward 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 | 14 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 8 | -42% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 33 | +308% | 2.4 |
| 2020s | 27 | -17% | 0.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 14 a year in the 1990s and 27 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about St. Marys
How common are truck crashes in St. Marys?
308 truck crashes have been reported in Ward County since 2015, with 16 deaths and 146 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in St. Marys?
The worst month is August: 12.7% of truck crashes in Ward County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in St. Marys?
Since 2015, Ward County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.0% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in St. Marys compared with North Dakota?
Per 100,000 residents, Ward County has 40.6 truck crashes a year; North Dakota has 73.9.
How can I plan a safer truck route in St. Marys?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2020; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.