Pennington Gap, VA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Pennington Gap: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Pennington Gap and Lee County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lee County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 69 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Lee County compares with Virginia
Lee County against Virginia and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lee County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lee County | Virginia | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 26.7 | 51.1 | 49.7 | 48% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.1 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 6.2% | 3.0% | 6.2% | 2.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.6% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 18.8% | 14.8% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.5% | 39.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.1% | 24.3% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Compared with Virginia, Lee County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr and garbage-truck share. It runs above Virginia on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice.
Lee County at a glance: 6.2% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 3.0% across Virginia.
Overview
Police reported 69 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lee County since 2015: 34 people were injured and 2 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 63 days.
With 6 truck crashes reported in Pennington Gap since 2015, this page uses Lee County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
83% of truck crash reports in Lee County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is September with 13.0% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 4.3%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 37.5% of truck crashes, vs 39.8% for Virginia.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.7%).
6.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 3.0% across Virginia.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Pennington Gap since 2015: US-421 (1) and US-58 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
No crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Lee County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Pennington Gap fleets
- Build extra time into September routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 26.6% of truck crashes here, more than Virginia; adjust start times where you can.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 6.2% of truck crashes here, more than Virginia; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Lee County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-421 | 1 |
| US-58 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lee County) |
|---|---|
| SR-58 | 25 |
| SR-58A | 8 |
| SR-421 | 7 |
| SR-23 | 4 |
| Route T1125 | 2 |
| West Morgan Avenue | 2 |
| East Morgan Ave | 1 |
| Route 58 A | 1 |
Pennington Gap at a glance
| Population | 1,575 |
| Land area | 1.7 sq mi |
| Density | 944 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lee 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 | 5 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 7 | +34% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 7 | +1% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 6 | -20% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 5 to 6. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Pennington Gap
How common are truck crashes in Pennington Gap?
Lee County has had 69 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 34 people and killing 2.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Pennington Gap?
Truck crashes in Lee County peak in September, with 13.0% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Pennington Gap?
0 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Lee County since 2015, 0.0% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Pennington Gap compare with Virginia?
Lee County records 26.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 51.1 across Virginia.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Pennington Gap?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.