Sandy Creek, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sandy Creek: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Sandy 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 |
Mercer County sits below Pennsylvania 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% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 9.1% across Pennsylvania.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,176 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Mercer County. They injured 547 people and killed 29.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 4 days.
Sandy Creek had 2 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Mercer County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 15.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 5.9%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 49.0% of truck crashes, vs 42.7% for Pennsylvania.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (6.6%).
Road surface: 26.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
US-19 leads within 10 miles of Sandy Creek with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-79 (1), SR-285 (1) and SR-4020 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
41 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.5% share (Pennsylvania: 3.6%).
Their busiest month is May, with 20% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 2.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Sandy Creek fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Mercer County.
- Check whether your routes use US-19, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in May; review collection routes for that month.
- With 26.5% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Pennsylvania), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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.
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-285 | 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 |
Sandy Creek at a glance
| Population | 787 |
| Land area | 15.8 sq mi |
| Density | 50 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 16130) | $58,750 |
| Median home value (ZIP 16130) | $138,251 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 87 a year in the 1990s and 93 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.8 a year in 2016–19, 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Sandy Creek
How many truck accidents are there in Sandy Creek?
1,176 truck crashes have been reported in Mercer County since 2015, with 29 deaths and 547 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Sandy Creek?
NHTSA data shows US-19 with 2 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Sandy Creek since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Sandy Creek?
The worst month is January: 15.1% of truck crashes in Mercer County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Sandy Creek?
41 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Mercer County since 2015, 3.5% of all truck crashes.
How does Sandy Creek compare with Pennsylvania for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Mercer County has 88.3 truck crashes a year; Pennsylvania has 57.2.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Sandy 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.