Fatal car crashes in Kent County, Michigan
From 2020 through 2024, 303 people died in 287 crashes on roads in Kent County, Michigan.
That is 9.0 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, below the Michigan rate of 10.9 and below the US rate of 12.1.
SR-11 (28Th St) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 23, killing 23.
Teens (15-19) were 9% of the people killed here, against 6% statewide.
In 2024, 63 people were killed, 15% more than in 2020 (55).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 673,002 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (287 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Michigan 10.9, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 20% 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 Kent County
SR-11 (28Th St) leads with 23 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 | SR-11 28Th St | 23 | 23 |
| 2 | US-131 Ramp 077H | 21 | 22 |
| 3 | Division Ave | 12 | 12 |
| 4 | SR-44 Plainfield Ave | 11 | 11 |
| 5 | SR-37 Alpine Ave | 10 | 10 |
| 6 | SR-57 14 Mile Rd | 8 | 11 |
| 7 | I-96 Beltline Ramp 038F | 8 | 8 |
| 8 | SR-6 | 6 | 8 |
| 9 | 32Nd St | 4 | 4 |
| 10 | I-196 Ramp 076C | 4 | 4 |
Deaths by year
Kent County ranks 3rd of 70 Michigan counties by deaths and 62nd by death rate (1st = highest), among counties with 10 or more fatal crashes.
When crashes turn deadly
47% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 7 pm to 8 pm.
Thursday had the most fatal crashes (48), and 32% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, September was the worst (37 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Kent County, next to Michigan and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Kent County | Share | Michigan | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 60 | 21% | 26% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 84 | 29% | 28% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 25 | 9% | 9% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 18 | 6% | 7% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 60 | 20% | 15% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 40 | 13% | 16% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 8 | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 27 | 9% | 6% | 7% |
After a crash in Kent County
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Get the crash report
Statewide copies come from Michigan State Police (MSP) Traffic Crash Reporting Unit, through the Traffic Crash Purchasing System (TCPS, MiLogin account required), cost $15.00 per report and are usually ready Typical processing is 3-30 days from the crash, depending on the reporting agency (no mandatory timeframe). Reports can be bought for up to 10 years after the crash..
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Know your deadline
Michigan gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805(2)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: To recover for injuries from a defective highway you must serve written notice on the governmental agency within 120 days of the injury (filed with the Court of Claims for state roads); the notice must state the exact location and nature of the defect, the injury, and known witnesses.
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Who pays
Michigan is a no-fault state: your own personal injury protection (PIP) pays first, with at least Choice of PIP medical coverage levels for policies issued or renewed after July 1, 2020: unlimited, $500,000, $250,000, or $50,000 (Medicaid enrollees only); other options and exceptions (MCL 500.3107d, 3109a) were not read required, and you can sue the other driver only past the state's threshold. Give your auto insurer written notice of the injury within 1 year of the crash, or you can lose the right to sue for PIP benefits (and benefits more than 1 year before you file are not recoverable).
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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 in a crash case you cannot recover noneconomic damages (pain and suffering) if you are more than 50% at fault; under MCL 600.2959 economic damages are still reduced rather than barred.
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Michigan is $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 per crash and $10,000 for property (50/100/10).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Michigan. Both take under a minute.
Cities in Kent County
| City | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | 75 | 7.5 | 24 | 200,117 |
| Wyoming | 39 | 9.9 | 13 | 78,559 |
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ionia County, Michigan | 25 mi | 52 | 15.7 | 2 | 66,250 |
| Montcalm County, Michigan | 28 mi | 66 | 19.0 | 7 | 69,314 |
| Barry County, Michigan | 33 mi | 42 | 13.1 | 3 | 64,025 |
| Ottawa County, Michigan | 34 mi | 101 | 6.6 | 9 | 306,235 |
| Newaygo County, Michigan | 39 mi | 53 | 20.6 | 2 | 51,504 |
| Mecosta County, Michigan | 43 mi | 33 | 15.7 | 3 | 41,947 |
| Eaton County, Michigan | 47 mi | 72 | 13.2 | 5 | 109,494 |
| Clinton County, Michigan | 49 mi | 43 | 10.7 | 5 | 80,050 |
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.