Elmhurst, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elmhurst: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Elmhurst and Lackawanna County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lackawanna County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.8 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Lackawanna County compares with Pennsylvania
Lackawanna County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lackawanna County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lackawanna County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 66.9 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 12% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 9% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.5% | 3.6% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 11.5% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.0% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 10% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.7% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 12% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.2% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.2% | 24.2% | 24.8% | same |
Lackawanna County sits below Pennsylvania on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Pennsylvania on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Elmhurst: I-81 deadliest road: 10 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Elmhurst since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 1,696 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lackawanna County since 2015: 743 people were injured and 37 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 3 days.
With 2 truck crashes reported in Elmhurst since 2015, this page uses Lackawanna County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 9.5% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (6.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.2% of truck crashes, against 42.7% across Pennsylvania.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 7.7% of truck crashes.
11.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.1% across Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Elmhurst is I-81, with 10 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: I-84 (5), SR-191 (1) and SR-3011 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 76 of the truck crashes here, or 4.5%, compared with 3.6% in Pennsylvania.
Their busiest month is January, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.8, vs 2.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Elmhurst fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lackawanna County.
- Check whether your routes use I-81, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Lackawanna County.
- With 11.5% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Pennsylvania), plan winter equipment 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 Lackawanna County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 10 |
| I-84 | 5 |
| SR-191 | 1 |
| SR-3011 | 1 |
| SR-348 | 1 |
| SR-435 | 1 |
| Ssr-2008 Marshwood Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lackawanna County) |
|---|---|
| I-0081 | 473 |
| I-0084 | 143 |
| I-0380 | 81 |
| SR-0011 | 75 |
| SR-0006 | 73 |
| SR-6006 | 53 |
| SR-3013 | 45 |
| I-7476 | 33 |
Elmhurst at a glance
| Population | 840 |
| Land area | 1.8 sq mi |
| Density | 456 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lackawanna 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 | 112 | — | 3.3 |
| 2000s | 130 | +16% | 1.9 |
| 2010s | 121 | -6% | 2.2 |
| 2020s | 151 | +25% | 2.6 |
In the 1990s about 112 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 151. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.0 a year in 2016–19, 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Elmhurst
How many truck accidents are there in Elmhurst?
Since 2015, 1,696 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Lackawanna County (743 injured, 37 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Elmhurst?
I-81 had 10 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Elmhurst since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Elmhurst?
January has the most truck crashes in Lackawanna County, 9.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Elmhurst?
76 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Lackawanna County since 2015, 4.5% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Elmhurst compare with Pennsylvania?
Per 100,000 residents, Lackawanna County has 66.9 truck crashes a year; Pennsylvania has 57.2.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Elmhurst?
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.