Fatal car crashes in Arapahoe County, Colorado
From 2020 through 2024, 290 people died in 271 crashes on roads in Arapahoe County, Colorado.
That is 8.7 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, below the Colorado rate of 11.7 and below the US rate of 12.1.
I-70 had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 20, killing 22.
Hit-and-runs made up 11% of fatal crashes here, against 7% statewide.
In 2024, 55 people were killed, 6% more than in 2020 (52).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 666,918 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (271 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Colorado 11.7, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 22% 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 Arapahoe County
I-70 leads with 20 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-70 | 20 | 22 |
| 2 | SR-30 S Havana St | 19 | 22 |
| 3 | I-225 | 17 | 22 |
| 4 | SR-83 S Parker Rd | 15 | 15 |
| 5 | US-40 E Colfax Ave | 13 | 13 |
| 6 | E Iliff Ave | 12 | 13 |
| 7 | S Chambers Rd | 10 | 10 |
| 8 | US-285 E Jefferson Ave | 9 | 9 |
| 9 | E Mississippi Ave | 8 | 8 |
| 10 | SR-88 E Arapahoe Rd | 7 | 8 |
Deaths by year
Arapahoe County ranks 4th of 44 Colorado counties by deaths and 40th by death rate (1st = highest), among counties with 10 or more fatal crashes.
When crashes turn deadly
56% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 7 pm to 8 pm.
Saturday had the most fatal crashes (49), and 35% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, July was the worst (31 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Arapahoe County, next to Colorado and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Arapahoe County | Share | Colorado | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 91 | 34% | 35% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 99 | 37% | 35% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 19 | 7% | 13% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 30 | 11% | 7% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 65 | 22% | 15% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 57 | 20% | 21% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 8 | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 30 | 10% | 8% | 7% |
After a crash in Arapahoe County
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Get the crash report
Statewide copies come from Colorado State Patrol Central Records Unit (for crashes CSP investigated); Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (crash records it receives from law enforcement and online counter reports) and are usually ready CSP: the whole process "may take up to ten (10) working days" after the investigation is complete. DMV: "Please allow 90 days for receipt of the crash report by the law enforcement agency and for data to be entered into the driver license system.".
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Know your deadline
Colorado gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-101(1)(n)(I)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: Written notice must be filed with the public entity within 182 days after the discovery of the injury; compliance is a jurisdictional prerequisite to suit.
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Who pays
Colorado 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, but you recover nothing if your share of fault is equal to or greater than the other party's (50% or more).
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Colorado is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $15,000 for property (25/50/15).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Colorado. Both take under a minute.
Cities in Arapahoe County
| City | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | 235 | 11.7 | 68 | 403,130 |
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County, Colorado | 16 mi | 347 | 12.8 | 86 | 542,973 |
| Elbert County, Colorado | 26 mi | 21 | 14.3 | 1 | 29,382 |
| Denver County, Colorado | 30 mi | 332 | 9.1 | 97 | 729,019 |
| Douglas County, Colorado | 39 mi | 122 | 6.2 | 13 | 393,995 |
| Broomfield County, Colorado | 44 mi | 21 | 5.4 | 2 | 78,323 |
| Jefferson County, Colorado | 49 mi | 245 | 8.5 | 45 | 578,533 |
| Morgan County, Colorado | 51 mi | 47 | 31.0 | 4 | 30,300 |
| El Paso County, Colorado | 57 mi | 401 | 10.7 | 62 | 752,772 |
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.