Lake Creek, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lake Creek: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lake Creek and Pennington County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Pennington County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
10 of 399 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Pennington County compares with South Dakota
Pennington County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Pennington County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Pennington County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 29.1 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 31% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 42% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.10 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.4% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 28.8% | 28.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.0% | 22.2% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.0% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.2% | 48.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 27.2% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Pennington County has lower values than South Dakota for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
What stands out in Pennington County: 1 in 41 crashes involve a garbage truck (10 since 2015), vs 1.6% across South Dakota.
Overview
Police reported 399 crashes involving commercial trucks in Pennington County since 2015: 38 people were injured and 11 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 11 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Lake Creek since 2015; patterns below come from Pennington County as a whole.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 11.8% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (5.3%).
November through March accounts for 48.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.8% in South Dakota.
By time of day, 2–3 pm stands out with 8.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 28.8% of truck crashes, compared with 28.6% in South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Lake Creek since 2015 were spread across roads: I-90 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
10 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.5% share (South Dakota: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Lake Creek fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Pennington County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Pennington County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 194 |
| US-16 | 39 |
| Sd Hwy 44 | 26 |
| Sd Hwy 79 | 16 |
| Ave | 7 |
| Sd Hwy 445 | 7 |
| Us Hwy 16 B | 5 |
| Cambell St | 4 |
Lake Creek at a glance
| Population | 40 |
| Land area | 35.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57775) | $77,750 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Pennington 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 | 23 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 24 | +2% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 25 | +5% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 42 | +67% | 1.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 23 a year in the 1990s and 42 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.0 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lake Creek
How common are truck crashes in Lake Creek?
Pennington County has had 399 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 38 people and killing 11.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Lake Creek?
The worst month is January: 11.8% of truck crashes in Pennington County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Lake Creek?
10 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Pennington County since 2015, 2.5% of all truck crashes.
How does Lake Creek compare with South Dakota for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 29.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Pennington County, vs 42.0 for South Dakota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Lake Creek?
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.