Willow Lake Township, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Willow Lake Township: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Willow Lake Township and Brule County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Brule County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 54 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Brule County compares with South Dakota
Brule County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Brule County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Brule County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 84.7 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 2.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.0 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 62% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.10 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.0% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 44.9% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.4% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 17% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 28.6% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.6× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 59.2% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 26.5% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Compared with South Dakota, Brule County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above South Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
Brule County at a glance: December worst month: 20.4% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Brule County has recorded 54 truck crashes since 2015, with 5 people injured and 1 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 82 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Willow Lake Township since 2015; patterns below come from Brule County as a whole.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 20.4% of the yearly total, while September has the fewest (1.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 59.2% of truck crashes, against 48.8% across South Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (13.0%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 44.9% 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 Willow Lake since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.9% share (South Dakota: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Willow Lake Township fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 44.9% 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 Brule 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 (Brule County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 42 |
| Sd Hwy 50 | 6 |
| Sd Hwy 45 | 2 |
| 355Th Ave. | 1 |
| Ave | 1 |
Willow Lake Township at a glance
| Population | 46 |
| Land area | 35.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57355) | $63,125 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57355) | $129,353 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Brule 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 | 2 | — | 0.1 |
| 2000s | 4 | +91% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 5 | +17% | 0.0 |
| 2020s | 4 | -8% | 0.2 |
In the 1990s about 2 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 4. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.0 a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Willow Lake Township
How common are truck crashes in Willow Lake Township?
Since 2015, 54 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Brule County (5 injured, 1 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Willow Lake Township?
December has the most truck crashes in Brule County, 20.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Willow Lake Township?
Since 2015, Brule County has reported 1 garbage-truck crash, or 1.9% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Willow Lake Township compare with South Dakota?
Per 100,000 residents, Brule County has 84.7 truck crashes a year; South Dakota has 42.0.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Willow Lake Township?
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.