Otter Creek, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Otter Creek: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Otter Creek and Mercer County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Mercer County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Mercer County compares with Pennsylvania
Mercer County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Mercer County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Mercer County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 88.3 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.4 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.47 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.7% | 3.6% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 26.5% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 2.9× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.2% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 10% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 32.9% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 1.7× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.0% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 28.4% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Compared with Pennsylvania, Mercer County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Mercer County: 26.5% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Overview
Mercer County has recorded 1,176 truck crashes since 2015, with 547 people injured and 29 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
Only 2 truck crashes were reported in Otter Creek since 2015; patterns below come from Mercer County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (15.1% of the year) and are lowest in March (5.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 49.0% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Pennsylvania.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 6.6% of truck crashes.
26.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.1% across Pennsylvania.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Otter Creek since 2015 were spread across roads: US-19 (2), I-79 (1) and SR-4020 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
41 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.5% share (Pennsylvania: 3.6%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in May (20%).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Otter Creek fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at May schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 26.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Pennsylvania; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Mercer County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-19 | 2 |
| I-79 | 1 |
| SR-4020 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Mercer County) |
|---|---|
| I-0080 | 581 |
| I-0079 | 90 |
| SR-0018 | 52 |
| Z H Confair Hw | 50 |
| SR-0019 | 36 |
| SR-0058 | 33 |
| SR-0062 | 31 |
| SR-0173 | 23 |
Otter Creek at a glance
| Population | 510 |
| Land area | 11.8 sq mi |
| Density | 43 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 16125) | $54,787 |
| Median home value (ZIP 16125) | $144,851 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Mercer 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 | 87 | — | 2.2 |
| 2000s | 88 | +1% | 3.1 |
| 2010s | 80 | -9% | 2.3 |
| 2020s | 93 | +16% | 1.6 |
In the 1990s about 87 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 93. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.8 a year in 2016–19, 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Otter Creek
How common are truck crashes in Otter Creek?
Since 2015, 1,176 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Mercer County (547 injured, 29 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Otter Creek?
Truck crashes in Mercer County peak in January, with 15.1% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Otter Creek?
41 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Mercer County since 2015, 3.5% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Otter Creek compared with Pennsylvania?
Per 100,000 residents, Mercer County has 88.3 truck crashes a year; Pennsylvania has 57.2.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Otter Creek?
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.