Crystal Lake, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Crystal Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Crystal Lake and Aurora County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Aurora County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 68 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Aurora County compares with South Dakota
Aurora County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Aurora County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Aurora County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 214.7 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 5.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 9.2 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 1.8× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.06 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 54% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 52.3% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 4.6% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 79% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 24.6% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 66.1% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 1.4× the state |
| After dark | 36.9% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 1.6× the state |
Aurora County has lower values than South Dakota for injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above South Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Aurora County: March the month with the most truck crashes: 23.5% of the year's total.
Overview
Aurora County has recorded 68 truck crashes since 2015, with 7 people injured and 6 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 62 days in fully reported years.
Crystal Lake had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Aurora County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (23.5% of the year) and are lowest in July (1.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 66.1% of truck crashes, against 48.8% across South Dakota.
By time of day, 4–5 pm stands out with 10.3% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 52.3% of truck crashes, compared with 28.6% in South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Crystal Lake since 2015: CR-389 Ave (1), I-90 (1) and SR-258 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Since 2015, no garbage-truck crashes were reported for Aurora County.
Route planning tips for Crystal Lake fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 52.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above South Dakota; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Aurora County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-389 Ave | 1 |
| I-90 | 1 |
| SR-258 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Aurora County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 44 |
| US-281 | 14 |
| Ave | 3 |
| Old Hwy 16 | 2 |
| Sd Hwy 258 | 1 |
Crystal Lake at a glance
| Population | 41 |
| Land area | 35.8 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57383) | $62,917 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57383) | $107,755 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Aurora 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 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 5 | -22% | 0.1 |
| 2010s | 5 | -6% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 8 | +60% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 6 to 8. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Crystal Lake
How common are truck crashes in Crystal Lake?
68 truck crashes have been reported in Aurora County since 2015, with 6 deaths and 7 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Crystal Lake?
March has the most truck crashes in Aurora County, 23.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Crystal Lake?
Garbage trucks were involved in 0 reported crashes in Aurora County since 2015 (0.0% of truck crashes).
How does Crystal Lake compare with South Dakota for truck crashes?
Aurora County records 214.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.0 across South Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Crystal Lake?
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.