Elgin, OH truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elgin: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Elgin and Van Wert County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Van Wert County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 381 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Van Wert County compares with Ohio
Van Wert County against Ohio and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Van Wert County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Van Wert County | Ohio | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 109.8 | 50.8 | 49.7 | 2.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.9 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.61 | 0.50 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.9% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 66% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 8.3% | 7.8% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 15.2% | 21.4% | 23.7% | 29% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.3% | 18.9% | 13.8% | 14% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.4% | 42.3% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.5% | 25.8% | 24.8% | 17% below the state |
Van Wert County has lower values than Ohio for garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Van Wert County: 1 in 116 garbage-truck share of crashes is 0.9%, against 2.5% for Ohio.
Overview
Police reported 381 crashes involving commercial trucks in Van Wert County since 2015: 230 people were injured and 18 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 12 days in fully reported years.
Elgin had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Van Wert County numbers.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 9.7% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (5.2%).
November through March accounts for 40.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.3% in Ohio.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 9.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 8.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Ohio: 7.8%).
Where crashes happen
US-127 leads within 10 miles of Elgin with 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-116 (1), SR-197 (1) and US-30 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 3 of the truck crashes here, or 0.8%, compared with 2.5% in Ohio.
Route planning tips for Elgin fleets
- Plan May schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Van Wert County.
- Check whether your routes use US-127, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Van Wert County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-127 | 8 |
| SR-116 | 1 |
| SR-197 | 1 |
| US-30 | 1 |
| Wren Landeck Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Van Wert County) |
|---|---|
| US-30 | 181 |
| US-127 | 53 |
| US-224 | 26 |
| Washington St | 22 |
| SR-118 | 17 |
| SR-81 | 9 |
| Liberty Union Rd | 5 |
| SR-49 | 5 |
Elgin at a glance
| Population | 45 |
| Land area | 0.2 sq mi |
| Density | 201 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 45838) | $91,181 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Van Wert 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 | 4 | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 20 | +412% | 1.2 |
| 2010s | 32 | +54% | 1.0 |
| 2020s | 28 | -10% | 1.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 4 to 28. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Elgin
How many truck accidents are there in Elgin?
381 truck crashes have been reported in Van Wert County since 2015, with 18 deaths and 230 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Elgin?
Since 2015, US-127 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Elgin: 8.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Elgin?
Truck crashes in Van Wert County peak in May, with 9.7% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Elgin?
Since 2015, Van Wert County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.8% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Elgin compared with Ohio?
Van Wert County records 109.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 50.8 across Ohio.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Elgin?
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.