Ward Town, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ward Town: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ward Town and Brookings County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Brookings County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 157 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Brookings County compares with South Dakota
Brookings County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Brookings County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Brookings County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.0 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 12% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.7 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 48% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 8% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.4% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 16% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 28.4% | 28.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.3% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.5% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 11% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.3% | 48.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 16.9% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 26% below the state |
Brookings County sits below South Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Brookings County: March 13.4% of truck crashes happen in March, more than any other month.
Overview
Brookings County has recorded 157 truck crashes since 2015, with 19 people injured and 5 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 27 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Ward Town since 2015, this page uses Brookings County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 13.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 4.5%.
November through March accounts for 49.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.8% in South Dakota.
The busiest hour is 9–10 am, with 12.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 28.4% of truck crashes, compared with 28.6% in South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
NHTSA lists no located fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Ward since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 1.3%, compared with 1.6% in South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Ward Town fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 24.3% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above South Dakota; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Brookings County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Brookings County) |
|---|---|
| I-29 | 54 |
| US-14 | 32 |
| Ave | 27 |
| Sd Hwy 324 | 4 |
| Us Hwy 14 B | 4 |
| 22Nd Ave | 3 |
| Sd Hwy 30 | 3 |
| 8Th St | 2 |
Ward Town at a glance
| Population | 42 |
| Land area | 0.3 sq mi |
| Density | 144 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57026) | $80,568 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57026) | $208,616 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Brookings 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 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 7 | +29% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 11 | +58% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 16 | +43% | 0.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 6 a year in the 1990s and 16 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.5 a year in 2016–19, 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ward Town
How many truck crashes happen in Ward Town?
Brookings County has had 157 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 19 people and killing 5.
When do most truck crashes happen in Ward Town?
The worst month is March: 13.4% of truck crashes in Brookings County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Ward Town?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Brookings County since 2015, 1.3% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Ward Town compared with South Dakota?
Brookings County records 37.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.0 across South Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Ward Town?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.