Fatal car crashes in Lake County, Indiana
From 2020 through 2024, 282 people died in 258 crashes on roads in Lake County, Indiana.
That is 11.2 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, below the Indiana rate of 13.1 and below the US rate of 12.1.
I-80 had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 36, killing 38.
Hit-and-runs made up 9% of fatal crashes here, against 5% statewide.
In 2024, 36 people were killed, 38% fewer than in 2020 (58).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 502,955 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (258 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Indiana 13.1, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 15% 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 Lake County
I-80 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 | I-80 | 36 | 38 |
| 2 | US-12 | 17 | 19 |
| 3 | I-65 Ramp 258 H | 12 | 14 |
| 4 | SR-53 | 11 | 11 |
| 5 | US-41 | 9 | 11 |
| 6 | US-20 | 8 | 8 |
| 7 | US-30 | 8 | 8 |
| 8 | SR-55 | 6 | 8 |
| 9 | I-90 | 6 | 6 |
| 10 | US-41N | 4 | 5 |
Deaths by year
Lake County ranks 2nd of 86 Indiana counties by deaths and 70th by death rate (1st = highest), among counties with 10 or more fatal crashes.
When crashes turn deadly
55% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 8 pm to 9 pm.
Saturday had the most fatal crashes (51), and 32% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, October was the worst (30 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Lake County, next to Indiana and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Lake County | Share | Indiana | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 113 | 44% | 27% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 65 | 25% | 20% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 44 | 17% | 17% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 23 | 9% | 5% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 41 | 15% | 11% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 31 | 11% | 16% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 10 | 4% | 2% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 14 | 5% | 7% | 7% |
After a crash in Lake County
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Get the crash report
Local agencies' reports are in the same BuyCrash repository. The City of Indianapolis says: "You can find accident reports online at BuyCrash.com. An accident report costs $12. You must provide the date, time, and location of the acc[ident]" (search-result excerpt of indy.gov).
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Know your deadline
Indiana gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(a)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: A claim against a city, county or other political subdivision is barred unless written notice is filed with its governing body (and the risk management commission, if applicable) within 180 days after the loss; claims against the State have a separate 270-day notice rule (not fetched).
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Who pays
Indiana 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 fault is greater than the fault of everyone else who contributed to your damages (more than 50%).
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Indiana is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (25/50/25).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Indiana. Both take under a minute.
Cities in Lake County
| City | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gary | 95 | 28.1 | 14 | 67,555 |
| Hammond | 42 | 11.0 | 6 | 76,030 |
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porter County, Indiana | 16 mi | 100 | 11.4 | 11 | 175,860 |
| Will County, Illinois | 31 mi | 296 | 8.4 | 41 | 708,583 |
| Cook County, Illinois | 32 mi | 1,967 | 7.6 | 522 | 5,182,617 |
| LaPorte County, Indiana | 33 mi | 100 | 18.0 | 6 | 111,348 |
| Jasper County, Indiana | 34 mi | 41 | 24.6 | 1 | 33,387 |
| Kankakee County, Illinois | 34 mi | 86 | 16.2 | 10 | 106,410 |
| Newton County, Indiana | 35 mi | 23 | 32.6 | 1 | 14,131 |
| Berrien County, Michigan | 39 mi | 85 | 11.1 | 16 | 152,703 |
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.