Owanka, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Owanka: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Owanka 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
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
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.
Pennington County at a glance: 1 in 41 garbage-truck share of crashes is 2.4%, against 1.6% for South Dakota.
Overview
Pennington County has recorded 399 truck crashes since 2015, with 38 people injured and 11 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 11 days in fully reported years.
Owanka had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Pennington County numbers.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 11.8% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (5.3%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 48.2% of truck crashes, against 48.8% across South Dakota.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 8.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 28.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Dakota: 28.6%).
Where crashes happen
NHTSA lists no located fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Owanka since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 10 crashes, 2.5% of the total, against 1.6% across South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Owanka fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Pennington County.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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
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 (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 |
Owanka at a glance
| Population | 31 |
| Land area | 50.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57767) | $250,001 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57767) | $116,238 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 23 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 42. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Owanka
How many truck accidents are there in Owanka?
399 truck crashes have been reported in Pennington County since 2015, with 11 deaths and 38 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Owanka?
The worst month is January: 11.8% of truck crashes in Pennington County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Owanka?
10 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Pennington County since 2015, 2.5% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Owanka compare with South Dakota?
The yearly rate is 29.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Pennington County, vs 42.0 for South Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Owanka?
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.