North Spearfish, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in North Spearfish: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in North Spearfish and Lawrence County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lawrence County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 124 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Lawrence County compares with South Dakota
Lawrence County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lawrence County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lawrence County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.2 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 11% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.1 | 5.2 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 33.1% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 16.1% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 28% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 31.4% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.8× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 50.0% | 48.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.0% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Lawrence County has lower values than South Dakota for crashes per 100k residents / yr and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
Lawrence County at a glance: 31.4% in rain, sleet or snow, against 17.5% across South Dakota.
Overview
Since 2015, 124 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Lawrence County. They injured 19 people and killed 6.
That averages about one truck crash every 34 days in fully reported years.
North Spearfish had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Lawrence County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 11.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is June at 4.0%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 50.0% of truck crashes, against 48.8% across South Dakota.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 12.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 33.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Dakota: 28.6%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of North Spearfish since 2015: CR-GOBBLER Rd (1) and SR-34 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.4% share (South Dakota: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for North Spearfish fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lawrence County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 33.1% of truck crashes here, more than South Dakota; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Lawrence County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-GOBBLER Rd | 1 |
| SR-34 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lawrence County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 51 |
| US-85 | 21 |
| Sd Hwy 34 | 20 |
| Us Hwy 14 A | 5 |
| US-14A | 5 |
| 1St Ave | 2 |
| Whitewood Valley Rd | 2 |
| 12Th St | 1 |
North Spearfish at a glance
| Land area | 4.3 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lawrence 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 | — | 0.5 |
| 2000s | 8 | +12% | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 10 | +21% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 12 | +12% | 0.6 |
In the 1990s about 8 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 12. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about North Spearfish
How many truck crashes happen in North Spearfish?
124 truck crashes have been reported in Lawrence County since 2015, with 6 deaths and 19 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in North Spearfish?
Truck crashes in Lawrence County peak in January, with 11.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in North Spearfish?
Since 2015, Lawrence County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.4% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in North Spearfish compared with South Dakota?
Lawrence County records 37.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.0 across South Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in North Spearfish?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.