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Fatal car crashes in Essex County, New Jersey
From 2020 through 2024, 263 people died in 245 crashes on roads in Essex County, New Jersey.
That is 6.0 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, below the New Jersey rate of 6.8 and below the US rate of 12.1.
CR-508 (Central Ave) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 16, killing 18.
Hit-and-runs made up 22% of fatal crashes here, against 10% statewide.
In 2024, 47 people were killed, 4% more than in 2020 (45).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 881,527 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (245 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (New Jersey 6.8, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 41% 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 Essex County
CR-508 (Central Ave) leads with 16 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 | CR-508 Central Ave | 16 | 18 |
| 2 | SR-21 Mccarter Highway | 16 | 17 |
| 3 | US-1 Truck | 14 | 17 |
| 4 | I-78 | 14 | 14 |
| 5 | I-95 New Jersey Tpke | 10 | 12 |
| 6 | I-280 | 10 | 10 |
| 7 | CR-506 Bloomfield Ave | 9 | 10 |
| 8 | CR-603 Springfield Ave | 8 | 8 |
| 9 | CR-510 Market St | 7 | 7 |
| 10 | SR-27 Elinghuysen Ave | 5 | 8 |
Deaths by year
Essex County ranks 2nd of 21 New Jersey counties by deaths and 14th by death rate (1st = highest), among counties with 10 or more fatal crashes.
When crashes turn deadly
57% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 4 am to 5 am.
Tuesday had the most fatal crashes (43), and 30% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, June was the worst (31 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Essex County, next to New Jersey and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Essex County | Share | New Jersey | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 69 | 28% | 25% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 41 | 17% | 23% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 26 | 11% | 11% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 55 | 22% | 10% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 108 | 41% | 29% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 30 | 11% | 15% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 7 | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 10 | 4% | 6% | 7% |
After a crash in Essex County
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Get the crash report
Crashes investigated by a municipal police department are requested from that department's records bureau (for example Ewing Police take requests in person, by email or by mail and charge OPRA copy fees of $0.05 per letter-size page).
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Know your deadline
New Jersey gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2(a)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: A notice of claim for death, injury or property damage against a public entity or employee must be presented within 90 days after the claim accrues, and suit must be filed within two years of accrual.
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Who pays
New Jersey lets drivers choose between no-fault and traditional at-fault coverage. Your treating doctor must notify your PIP insurer within 21 days of starting treatment, or your insurer can cut what it pays. Report the accident to your own insurer within 30 days as well.
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If you were partly at fault
You can recover if your negligence is not greater than the defendant's (50% or less); your award is reduced by your percentage of fault, and at 51% or more you recover nothing.
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in New Jersey is $35,000 per injured person, $70,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (35/70/25).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for New Jersey. Both take under a minute.
Cities in Essex County
| City | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newark | 151 | 9.5 | 55 | 317,303 |
| East Orange | 27 | 7.5 | 12 | 71,850 |
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, New Jersey | 9 mi | 163 | 5.5 | 67 | 594,160 |
| Hudson County, New Jersey | 10 mi | 116 | 3.2 | 42 | 736,185 |
| New York County, New York | 14 mi | 184 | 2.2 | 92 | 1,660,664 |
| Bergen County, New Jersey | 15 mi | 202 | 4.1 | 79 | 978,641 |
| Morris County, New Jersey | 16 mi | 104 | 4.0 | 28 | 523,053 |
| Richmond County, New York | 17 mi | 59 | 2.4 | 26 | 498,212 |
| Passaic County, New Jersey | 17 mi | 138 | 5.2 | 44 | 526,597 |
| Kings County, New York | 19 mi | 338 | 2.6 | 170 | 2,617,631 |
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.