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Fatal car crashes in Merced County, California
From 2020 through 2024, 289 people died in 263 crashes on roads in Merced County, California.
That is 19.5 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, above the California rate of 10.7 and above the US rate of 12.1.
SR-152 (Pacheco Pass Highway) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 29, killing 34.
A large truck was involved in 17% of fatal crashes here, against 10% statewide.
In 2024, 46 people were killed, about the same than in 2020 (46).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 296,774 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (263 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (California 10.7, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 20% of all deaths here
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 deadliest roads in Merced County
SR-152 (Pacheco Pass Highway) leads with 29 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.
| # | Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SR-152 Pacheco Pass Highway | 29 | 34 |
| 2 | SR-99 Golden State Fwy | 24 | 25 |
| 3 | I-5 | 20 | 23 |
| 4 | SR-59 Los Banos Hwy | 19 | 20 |
| 5 | SR-165 Lander Ave | 11 | 12 |
| 6 | SR-33 4Th St | 10 | 13 |
| 7 | SR-140 E Yosemite Parkway | 9 | 12 |
| 8 | Santa Fe Dr | 8 | 10 |
| 9 | G St | 8 | 8 |
| 10 | Henry Miller Ave | 4 | 4 |
Deaths by year
Merced County ranks 16th of 55 California counties by deaths and 20th by death rate (1st = highest), among counties with 10 or more fatal crashes.
When crashes turn deadly
60% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 10 pm to 11 pm.
Saturday had the most fatal crashes (46), and 31% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, October was the worst (36 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Merced County, next to California and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Merced County | Share | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 52 | 20% | 32% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 70 | 27% | 27% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 46 | 17% | 10% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 27 | 10% | 12% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 57 | 20% | 27% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 35 | 12% | 14% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 12 | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 18 | 6% | 6% | 7% |
After a crash in Merced County
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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.
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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).
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Who pays
California is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
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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.
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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).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for California. Both take under a minute.
Cities in Merced County
| City | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merced | 54 | 11.2 | 22 | 96,073 |
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanislaus County, California | 30 mi | 468 | 16.8 | 109 | 556,972 |
| San Benito County, California | 45 mi | 62 | 17.9 | 4 | 69,159 |
| Santa Clara County, California | 53 mi | 584 | 6.1 | 198 | 1,926,325 |
| Madera County, California | 54 mi | 179 | 21.6 | 30 | 165,432 |
| San Joaquin County, California | 59 mi | 669 | 16.4 | 128 | 816,108 |
| Fresno County, California | 66 mi | 907 | 17.7 | 213 | 1,024,125 |
| Calaveras County, California | 70 mi | 66 | 28.4 | 1 | 46,505 |
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.