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Fatal car crashes in Worcester County, Massachusetts
From 2020 through 2024, 264 people died in 243 crashes on roads in Worcester County, Massachusetts.
That is 6.0 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, above the Massachusetts rate of 5.3 and below the US rate of 12.1.
US-20 (Southwest Cutoff) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 15, killing 18.
In 2024, 49 people were killed, 48% more than in 2020 (33).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 881,248 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (243 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Massachusetts 5.3, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 14% 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 Worcester County
US-20 (Southwest Cutoff) leads with 15 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-20 Southwest Cutoff | 15 | 18 |
| 2 | I-90 E Exit 10A | 14 | 14 |
| 3 | I-290 | 12 | 13 |
| 4 | SR-12 N Main St | 12 | 12 |
| 5 | I-495 | 9 | 11 |
| 6 | SR-9 Belmont St | 9 | 9 |
| 7 | SR-2 | 8 | 10 |
| 8 | I-190 N Exit 19 Ramp To I-290 | 7 | 7 |
| 9 | SR-2A W Broadway | 7 | 7 |
| 10 | I-395 | 6 | 8 |
Deaths by year
Worcester County ranks 2nd of 12 Massachusetts counties by deaths and 7th by death rate (1st = highest), among counties with 10 or more fatal crashes.
When crashes turn deadly
50% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 9 pm to 10 pm.
Saturday had the most fatal crashes (53), and 36% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, September was the worst (27 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Worcester County, next to Massachusetts and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Worcester County | Share | Massachusetts | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 66 | 27% | 31% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 76 | 31% | 30% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 23 | 9% | 9% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 6 | 2% | 5% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 38 | 14% | 19% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 38 | 14% | 17% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 2 | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 13 | 5% | 7% | 7% |
After a crash in Worcester County
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Get the crash report
Statewide copies come from Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), Crash Records, cost $20 non-refundable search fee for each report requested and are usually ready Wait at least 4 weeks after the crash to submit a request; allow 4 weeks for the RMV to process it. If a report is not found the RMV keeps searching for 90 days from the crash date..
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Know your deadline
Massachusetts gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: For injuries caused by a defect in a public way, written notice must be given to the county, city, town or responsible person within 30 days of the injury; other claims against a public employer under the Tort Claims Act must be presented in writing within two years (ch. 258, s. 4).
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Who pays
Massachusetts is a no-fault state: your own personal injury protection (PIP) pays first, with at least $8,000 required, and you can sue the other driver only past the state's threshold.
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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 total negligence of the people you are suing (more than 50%).
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Massachusetts is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $30,000 for property (25/50/30).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Massachusetts. Both take under a minute.
Cities in Worcester County
| City | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester | 46 | 4.4 | 10 | 211,286 |
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County, Massachusetts | 30 mi | 276 | 3.3 | 59 | 1,668,956 |
| Providence County, Rhode Island | 36 mi | 184 | 5.4 | 39 | 675,912 |
| Hampshire County, Massachusetts | 37 mi | 43 | 5.2 | 8 | 165,399 |
| Hampden County, Massachusetts | 38 mi | 235 | 10.1 | 49 | 464,151 |
| Franklin County, Massachusetts | 38 mi | 32 | 9.0 | 2 | 70,871 |
| Norfolk County, Massachusetts | 40 mi | 198 | 5.3 | 42 | 740,754 |
| Hillsborough County, New Hampshire | 43 mi | 137 | 6.4 | 14 | 430,462 |
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.