Fatal car crashes in New Castle County, Delaware
From 2020 through 2024, 336 people died in 310 crashes on roads in New Castle County, Delaware.
That is 11.4 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, below the Delaware rate of 12.8 and below the US rate of 12.1.
US-13 (Dupont Pkwy) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 36, killing 40.
Pedestrians were 28% of the people killed here, against 21% statewide.
In 2024, 61 people were killed, 2% fewer than in 2020 (62).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 588,093 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (310 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Delaware 12.8, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 28% 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 New Castle County
US-13 (Dupont Pkwy) leads with 36 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 | US-13 Dupont Pkwy | 36 | 40 |
| 2 | I-95 De Tpk | 25 | 27 |
| 3 | US-40 Pulaski Hwy | 19 | 20 |
| 4 | SR-4 Chestnut Hill Rd | 18 | 18 |
| 5 | I-495 Vietnam Vet Mem Hwy | 16 | 20 |
| 6 | SR-1 Korean War Vets Mem Hwy | 14 | 16 |
| 7 | SR-9 River Rd | 12 | 13 |
| 8 | SR-7 Limestone Rd | 11 | 11 |
| 9 | SR-273 Chriistiana Rd | 9 | 12 |
| 10 | SR-2 Kirkwood Hwy | 9 | 10 |
Deaths by year
New Castle County ranks 1st of 3 Delaware counties by deaths and 3rd 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 9 pm to 10 pm.
Wednesday had the most fatal crashes (54), and 29% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, September was the worst (39 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in New Castle County, next to Delaware and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | New Castle County | Share | Delaware | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 94 | 30% | 30% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 71 | 23% | 24% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 34 | 11% | 10% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 25 | 8% | 7% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 93 | 28% | 21% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 61 | 18% | 14% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 7 | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 19 | 6% | 7% | 7% |
After a crash in New Castle County
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Get the crash report
Statewide copies come from Delaware State Police, Traffic Operations Section, cost $25.00 for a standard collision report; $60.00 for a fatal collision report.
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Know your deadline
Delaware gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Del. Code tit. 10, § 8119).
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Who pays
Delaware 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 negligence is greater than the defendant's (or all defendants combined), that is, more than 50%.
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Delaware is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $10,000 for property (25/50/10).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Delaware. Both take under a minute.
Cities in New Castle County
| City | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | 31 | 8.5 | 14 | 73,176 |
| Newark | 29 | 19.0 | 7 | 30,506 |
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem County, New Jersey | 15 mi | 84 | 25.5 | 8 | 65,874 |
| Cecil County, Maryland | 16 mi | 105 | 19.8 | 13 | 106,305 |
| Delaware County, Pennsylvania | 27 mi | 139 | 4.8 | 28 | 584,882 |
| Chester County, Pennsylvania | 28 mi | 150 | 5.4 | 11 | 560,745 |
| Gloucester County, New Jersey | 28 mi | 189 | 12.1 | 32 | 311,783 |
| Cumberland County, New Jersey | 33 mi | 124 | 15.9 | 26 | 155,678 |
| Kent County, Delaware | 34 mi | 147 | 15.3 | 20 | 192,690 |
| Kent County, Maryland | 35 mi | 19 | 19.4 | 0 | 19,557 |
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.