Buena, WA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Buena: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Buena and Yakima County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Yakima County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
16 of 1,097 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Yakima County compares with Washington
Yakima County against Washington and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Yakima County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Yakima County | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 36.6 | 25.8 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.22 | 0.18 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.5% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 30% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.8% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.5% | 24.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.9% | 20.2% | 13.8% | 46% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.1% | 43.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.1% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
Yakima County has lower values than Washington for garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Buena: US-97 deadliest road: 7 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Buena since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 1,097 crashes involving commercial trucks in Yakima County since 2015: 237 people were injured and 60 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 4 days.
Buena had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Yakima County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (11.2% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.1% of truck crashes, against 43.8% across Washington.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (7.8%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 12.8% of truck crashes, compared with 9.7% in Washington.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-97 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (7). It is followed by CR-LATERAL A Rd (3), SR-22 (3) and SR-24 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 16 crashes, 1.5% of the total, against 2.2% across Washington.
Route planning tips for Buena fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use US-97, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 12.8% of truck crashes here, more than Washington; 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
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 Yakima County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-97 | 7 |
| CR-LATERAL A Rd | 3 |
| SR-22 | 3 |
| SR-24 | 3 |
| CR-S Wapato Rd | 2 |
| I-82 | 2 |
| SR-223 | 2 |
| CR-BRANCH Rd | 1 |
| CR-FORT Rd | 1 |
| CR-KONNOWAC Pass Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Yakima County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-24*005.00 | 5 |
| Sr-12*176.00 | 4 |
| Sr-12*202.00 | 4 |
| Sr-97*060.80 | 4 |
| Sr-97*076.00 | 4 |
| Dekker Rd/Knowles Rd | 3 |
| Rudkin Rd/E Valley Mall Blvd | 3 |
| Sr-12*154.00 | 3 |
Buena at a glance
| Land area | 0.9 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Yakima 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 | 42 | — | 3.3 |
| 2000s | 59 | +38% | 2.5 |
| 2010s | 84 | +44% | 3.8 |
| 2020s | 92 | +9% | 6.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 42 to 92. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 5.8 a year in 2016–19, 6.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Buena
How common are truck crashes in Buena?
Yakima County has had 1,097 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 237 people and killing 60.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Buena?
US-97 had 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Buena since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Buena?
Truck crashes in Yakima County peak in September, with 11.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Buena?
16 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Yakima County since 2015, 1.5% of all truck crashes.
How does Buena compare with Washington for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 36.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Yakima County, vs 25.8 for Washington.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Buena?
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.