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Fatal car crashes in San Diego County, California
From 2020 through 2024, 1,486 people died in 1,393 crashes on roads in San Diego County, California.
That is 9.0 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, below the California rate of 10.7 and below the US rate of 12.1.
I-5 (San Diego Fwy) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 150, killing 164.
In 2024, 303 people were killed, 3% more than in 2020 (293).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 3,298,799 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (1,393 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (California 10.7, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 31% 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 San Diego County
I-5 (San Diego Fwy) leads with 150 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 | I-5 San Diego Fwy | 150 | 164 |
| 2 | I-8 Kumeyaay Hwy | 79 | 82 |
| 3 | SR-78 San Pasqual Valley Rd | 64 | 70 |
| 4 | I-15 Escondido Fwy | 60 | 65 |
| 5 | SR-94 Campo Rd | 58 | 63 |
| 6 | I-805 Jacob Dekema Fwy | 56 | 61 |
| 7 | SR-76 | 33 | 39 |
| 8 | SR-67 Main St | 26 | 27 |
| 9 | SR-15 Escondido Fwy | 16 | 16 |
| 10 | SR-163 Off-Ramp | 15 | 18 |
Deaths by year
San Diego County ranks 4th of 55 California counties by deaths and 42nd by death rate (1st = highest), among counties with 10 or more fatal crashes.
When crashes turn deadly
59% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 8 pm to 9 pm.
Sunday had the most fatal crashes (248), and 35% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, September was the worst (136 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in San Diego County, next to California and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | San Diego County | Share | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 419 | 30% | 32% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 395 | 28% | 27% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 99 | 7% | 10% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 146 | 10% | 12% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 468 | 31% | 27% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 249 | 17% | 14% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 47 | 3% | 4% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 86 | 6% | 6% | 7% |
After a crash in San Diego 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 San Diego County
| City | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 549 | 7.8 | 218 | 1,404,452 |
| Oceanside | 75 | 8.8 | 25 | 170,941 |
| Chula Vista | 71 | 5.1 | 19 | 278,546 |
| El Cajon | 61 | 11.8 | 25 | 103,291 |
| Escondido | 57 | 7.7 | 22 | 148,847 |
| National City | 36 | 12.3 | 13 | 58,460 |
| Vista | 32 | 6.4 | 15 | 99,322 |
| Carlsbad | 29 | 5.1 | 8 | 113,575 |
| La Mesa | 25 | 8.2 | 8 | 60,767 |
| San Marcos | 25 | 5.2 | 10 | 96,620 |
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside County, California | 72 mi | 1,618 | 12.8 | 389 | 2,529,933 |
| Orange County, California | 74 mi | 1,103 | 7.0 | 385 | 3,170,435 |
| Imperial County, California | 82 mi | 167 | 18.4 | 30 | 181,724 |
| Los Angeles County, California | 118 mi | 4,095 | 8.4 | 1,489 | 9,757,179 |
| San Bernardino County, California | 131 mi | 1,988 | 18.0 | 499 | 2,214,281 |
| Ventura County, California | 164 mi | 307 | 7.3 | 64 | 835,427 |
| La Paz County, Arizona | 165 mi | 94 | 110.6 | 7 | 16,992 |
| Yuma County, Arizona | 167 mi | 135 | 12.3 | 20 | 220,310 |
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.