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Fatal car crashes in Los Angeles, California

From 2020 through 2024, 1,637 people died in 1,558 crashes on streets and highways inside Los Angeles, California.

That is 8.4 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, below the California rate of 10.7 and below the US rate of 12.1.

I-110 (Harbor Fwy) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 74, killing 83.

Hit-and-runs made up 24% of fatal crashes here, against 12% statewide.

In 2024, 308 people were killed, 5% more than in 2020 (292).

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 3,878,704 · checked October 2, 2026

1,637

people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (1,558 crashes)

8.4

deaths a year per 100,000 residents (California 10.7, US 12.1)

729

pedestrians killed, 45% of all deaths here

15%

of fatal crashes involved a driver police reported as drinking

Where the fatal crashes happened

Each dot is one crash that killed at least one person, placed at the coordinates in the police report. The outline is Los Angeles County; the dots are crashes inside Los Angeles city limits.

one fatal crash, 2020-2024 a large truck was involved (88)

The deadliest roads in Los Angeles

I-110 (Harbor Fwy) leads with 74 fatal crashes in five years. Roads are counted by the name in the crash report; a highway's frontage roads and ramps count toward it.

#RoadFatal crashesDeaths
1 I-110 Harbor Fwy 74 83
2 US-101 Hollywood Fwy 73 75
3 I-5 Golden State Fwy 72 77
4 I-10 Santa Monica Fwy 56 58
5 I-405 San Diego Fwy 32 35
6 SR-1 Pacific Coast Hwy 28 29
7 Western Ave 23 24
8 Figueroa St 22 22
9 Foothill Blvd 21 24
10 SR-118 Ronald Reagan Fwy 20 23

Deaths by year

When crashes turn deadly

72% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 9 pm to 10 pm.

Sunday had the most fatal crashes (255), and 33% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.

By month, October was the worst (150 crashes across the five years).

What was involved

Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Los Angeles, next to California and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.

FactorLos AngelesShareCaliforniaUS
Speeding was a factor
a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions
608 39% 32% 28%
A driver had been drinking
police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver
231 15% 27% 26%
A large truck was involved
a truck over 10,000 lbs
88 6% 10% 13%
Hit-and-run
a driver left the scene
381 24% 12% 7%
Pedestrians killed
share of all deaths
729 45% 27% 18%
Motorcyclists killed
share of all deaths
229 14% 14% 15%
Bicyclists killed
share of all deaths
67 4% 4% 3%
Teens (15-19) killed
share of all deaths
86 5% 6% 7%

After a crash in Los Angeles

Crash reports here: how to get one from the Los Angeles Police Department.

  1. Get the crash report

    Statewide copies come from California Highway Patrol (CHP), through its Online Crash Report System (Crash Portal) or any CHP Area office, cost CHP 190 by mail or in person: $10.00 for 1-25 pages, $20.00 for 26-50 pages, $30.00 for 51-75 pages, $40.00 for 76-100 pages, with no extra charge for handling or mailing. The online portal fee is not stated on the CHP web pages. and are usually ready typically within eight (8) business days from the date of the crash.

    How to get a California crash report

  2. Know your deadline

    California gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: A written claim for death, injury to person or injury to personal property must be presented to the public entity within six months after the cause of action accrues (one year for other claims).

    Work out your date

  3. Who pays

    California is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.

    California car accident laws

  4. If you were partly at fault

    If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you can still recover even if you were mostly (even 99%) at fault.

    The rule and its statute

  5. The other driver’s minimum coverage

    The legal minimum liability coverage in California is $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per crash and $15,000 for property (30/60/15).

    Every state’s minimums

Check your deadline and a rough claim range

A filing date and a rough value range for California. Both take under a minute.

Check my deadline Estimate my claim

County around Los Angeles

CountyDeaths 2020-24Per 100K a yearPedestriansPopulation
Los Angeles County 4,095 8.4 1,489 9,757,179

About these numbers

FARS counts every crash on a public road in which someone died within 30 days. It leaves out the far larger number of crashes that only injured people. Places are as coded in the report: a crash on a county road just outside city limits counts for the county, not the city. Rates use the Census 2024 population estimate and the five-year average.

All sources and methods