Hecla, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Hecla: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Hecla and Brown County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Brown County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 115 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Brown County compares with South Dakota
Brown County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Brown County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Brown County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 25.7 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 39% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.7 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.7% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 2.9× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.1% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 51% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.6% | 22.2% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.4% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 46% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.1% | 48.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 15.1% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 34% below the state |
Brown County sits below South Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above South Dakota on deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Brown County: 1 in 21 garbage-truck share of crashes is 4.7%, against 1.6% for South Dakota.
Overview
Police reported 115 crashes involving commercial trucks in Brown County since 2015: 14 people were injured and 6 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 38 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Hecla since 2015; patterns below come from Brown County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 12.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 4.3%.
November through March accounts for 48.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.8% in South Dakota.
The busiest hour is 4–5 pm, with 11.3% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 14.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Dakota: 28.6%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, no fatal large-truck crashes with a location were recorded within 10 miles of Hecla.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 5 of the truck crashes here, or 4.3%, compared with 1.6% in South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Hecla fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Brown County.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Brown 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 (Brown County) |
|---|---|
| US-12 | 46 |
| US-281 | 17 |
| Ave | 12 |
| Sd Hwy 37 | 10 |
| Sd Hwy 10 | 5 |
| 5Th St | 2 |
| 10Th Ave Sw Sw | 1 |
| 412Th Ave. | 1 |
Hecla at a glance
| Population | 185 |
| Land area | 0.3 sq mi |
| Density | 538 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57446) | $44,375 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Brown 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 | 8 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 9 | +11% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 11 | +22% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 10 | -16% | 0.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 8 a year in the 1990s and 10 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Hecla
How common are truck crashes in Hecla?
115 truck crashes have been reported in Brown County since 2015, with 6 deaths and 14 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Hecla?
Truck crashes in Brown County peak in October, with 12.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Hecla?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Brown County since 2015, 4.3% of all truck crashes.
How does Hecla compare with South Dakota for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 25.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Brown County, vs 42.0 for South Dakota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Hecla?
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.