Centre County reported more deadly crashes than its neighbors in 2022. See the data
A multi-vehicle crash along a section of an interstate highway in Centre County left three people dead Tuesday.
Another three people were injured early Tuesday morning following the crash along Interstate 80 near Milesburg. Fire officials arrived at the scene shortly after midnight and found two tractor-trailers over the embankments while a passenger car lay on its roof on the roadway.
Tuesday’s wreck is not the first fatal crash along I-80 so far this year. The interstate, and Centre County at large, have been prone to deadly wrecks in recent history.
To put Centre County’s roadways into perspective, here’s how its crash data compares to several neighboring counties in central Pennsylvania.
Central Pennsylvania crash data
According to 2020 U.S. Census estimates, approximately 158,172 people live in Centre County — far more than Blair, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Mifflin and Union counties, which border it. As such, Centre County led them all in fatal injury crashes and fatalities in 2022.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reported 16 fatal injury crashes in Centre County in 2022 — three more than Clearfield County, which reported the second most. Blair County reported 12 fatal injury crashes that left 13 people dead.
Centre County’s 18 crash fatalities also led the pack ahead of Clearfield County (16).
Between Centre County and the six counties that directly neighbor it, Blair County led the pack in injury crashes, property damage-only crashes and total crashes. Blair County’s led all seven counties in 2022 with 1,255 crashes, defined as a reportable crash in which “an injury or fatality occurs or at least one of the vehicles involved requires towing from the scene,” according to PennDOT.
Although Centre County is the most populated county of the bunch, it observed the lowest rate of total crashes per 1,000 residents. According to PennDOT data, Centre County saw roughly 7.1 crashes per 1,000 residents, while Blair County led the pack with a clip of 10.4 crashes per 1,000 residents.
More than half of all crashes reported in each of the seven counties in 2022 were classified as property damage-only crashes, meaning no one was hurt, but damage occurred to a vehicle and required towing.
Seat belt use in all seven counties’ crashes exceeded at least 83% in 2022, according to PennDOT data. Centre County and Union County led the seven counties with rates of 91%.
Centre County’s 1,124 total crashes in 2022 served as an increase from 2021 (1,041 crashes) and 2020 (887 crashes). Total crashes peaked in the last five years in 2018 when 1,216 crashes were reported.
Additionally, the county’s 18 fatalities in 2022 also grew from 2021, when 10 were reported. The county reported just one fatality in 2019, but recorded 13 in 2018 and 14 in 2020.
Vehicle safety in Pennsylvania
PennDOT offers a number of guides and brochures with safety tips for Pennsylvania drivers, all available online.
Additionally, PennDOT encourages drivers to “Start SMART, Stay SMART” — a series of acronyms offering simple safety tips:
Start SMART
- S — Seat belt on, seat adjusted
- M — Mirrors adjusted and clear
- A — Air conditioning, heating and defrost panels set
- R — Radio and audio panel set
- T — Thoroughly check the area for traffic, people and objects
Stay SMART
- S — Watch your speed
- M — Frequently check your mirrors
- A — Avoid distractions
- R — Remember the rules of the road
- T — Give yourself enough time to reach your destination
This story was originally published June 20, 2023 at 3:52 PM.
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