Central City, NE truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Central City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Central City and Merrick County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Merrick County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 132 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Merrick County compares with Nebraska
Merrick County against Nebraska and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Merrick County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Merrick County | Nebraska | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 143.8 | 60.7 | 49.7 | 2.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.0 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 17% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.51 | 0.57 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 1.8% | 2.3% | 55% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.9% | 16.7% | 6.2% | 23% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.2% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 10% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.9% | 20.4% | 13.8% | 37% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.4% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 26.6% | 24.5% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Merrick County has lower values than Nebraska for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark.
The headline for Merrick County: October the month with the most truck crashes: 15.2% of the year's total.
Overview
Police reported 132 crashes involving commercial trucks in Merrick County since 2015: 68 people were injured and 5 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 32 days.
With 18 truck crashes reported in Central City since 2015, this page uses Merrick County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
70% of truck crash reports in Merrick County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 15.2% of the yearly total, while July has the fewest (3.8%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 44.4% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Nebraska.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (9.6%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 12.9% of truck crashes, compared with 16.7% in Nebraska.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Central City since 2015 were spread across roads: CR-14TH Road (1) and US-30 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 0.8% share (Nebraska: 1.8%).
Route planning tips for Central City fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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 Merrick County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-14TH Road | 1 |
| US-30 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Merrick County) |
|---|---|
| US-30 | 31 |
| Ne-92 | 5 |
| SR-30 | 4 |
| 030 /352.990/Us30 Ne Of "W" Rd-Ne Of Clarks | 3 |
| SR-92 | 3 |
| 014 /83.700/N14 & "P" Rd-N Of Central City | 2 |
| 030 /338.450/16Th St(Us30) W Of 5Th Ave-Ent | 2 |
| 030 /351.890/Us30 Sw Of 27Th Rd-Ne Of Clarks | 2 |
Central City at a glance
| Population | 3,145 |
| Land area | 2.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,292 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 68826) | $74,583 |
| Median home value (ZIP 68826) | $171,576 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Merrick 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 | 6 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 8 | +34% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 9 | +10% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 12 | +32% | 0.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 6 a year in the 1990s and 12 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.5 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Central City
How many truck crashes happen in Central City?
Merrick County has had 132 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 68 people and killing 5.
When do most truck crashes happen in Central City?
October has the most truck crashes in Merrick County, 15.2% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Central City?
Since 2015, Merrick County has reported 1 garbage-truck crash, or 0.8% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Central City compare with Nebraska?
The yearly rate is 143.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Merrick County, vs 60.7 for Nebraska.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Central City?
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.