Ooltewah, TN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ooltewah: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ooltewah and Hamilton County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Hamilton County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Hamilton County compares with Tennessee
Hamilton County against Tennessee and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Hamilton County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Hamilton County | Tennessee | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 69.5 | 60.1 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 33% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.48 | 0.49 | 10% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.6% | 2.3% | 6.2% | 75% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.2% | 21.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 18.4% | 14.9% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.7% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.1% | 25.9% | 24.8% | 11% below the state |
Compared with Tennessee, Hamilton County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Hamilton County: 1 in 32 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 3.1%, vs 1.9% in Tennessee.
Overview
Since 2015, 3,122 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Hamilton County. They injured 1,345 people and killed 80.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Only 2 truck crashes were reported in Ooltewah since 2015; patterns below come from Hamilton County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (9.5% of the year) and are lowest in January (6.3%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 38.7% of truck crashes, vs 40.5% for Tennessee.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.5% of truck crashes.
0.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 2.3% across Tennessee.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Ooltewah is I-75, with 19 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: SR-319 (2), CR-KLINGLER Ln (1) and Lake Resort Dr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 94 of the truck crashes here, or 3.0%, compared with 1.9% in Tennessee.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in June (13%).
They recorded 1.1 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Ooltewah fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-75, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in June; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 Hamilton County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-75 | 19 |
| SR-319 | 2 |
| CR-KLINGLER Ln | 1 |
| Lake Resort Dr | 1 |
| SR-153 | 1 |
| SR-317 | 1 |
| SR-58 | 1 |
| SR-60 | 1 |
| Us-64Bp/74 Sr-311 Apd-40 Appal | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Hamilton County) |
|---|---|
| I-24 | 625 |
| I-75 | 554 |
| SR-153 | 72 |
| Amnicola Hwy | 59 |
| Bonny Oaks Dr | 45 |
| SR-58 | 39 |
| SR-27 | 35 |
| Lee Hwy | 35 |
Ooltewah at a glance
| Land area | 0.6 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Hamilton 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 | 37 | — | 4.0 |
| 2000s | 131 | +253% | 4.5 |
| 2010s | 213 | +63% | 2.8 |
| 2020s | 282 | +32% | 6.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 37 a year in the 1990s and 282 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 3.5 a year in 2016–19 and 6.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ooltewah
How many truck accidents are there in Ooltewah?
3,122 truck crashes have been reported in Hamilton County since 2015, with 80 deaths and 1,345 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Ooltewah?
I-75 had 19 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Ooltewah since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Ooltewah?
The worst month is June: 9.5% of truck crashes in Hamilton County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Ooltewah?
Since 2015, Hamilton County has reported 94 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.0% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Ooltewah compared with Tennessee?
Hamilton County records 69.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 60.1 across Tennessee.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Ooltewah?
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.