Fatal car crashes in Columbus, Ohio
From 2020 through 2024, 435 people died in 405 crashes on streets and highways inside Columbus, Ohio.
That is 9.3 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, below the Ohio rate of 10.5 and below the US rate of 12.1.
I-71 had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 22, killing 26.
Hit-and-runs made up 21% of fatal crashes here, against 7% statewide.
In 2024, 66 people were killed, 19% fewer than in 2020 (81).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 933,263 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (405 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Ohio 10.5, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 26% 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 outline is Franklin County; the dots are crashes inside Columbus city limits.
The deadliest roads in Columbus
I-71 leads with 22 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-71 | 22 | 26 |
| 2 | I-70 Dwight D Eisenhower Fwy | 20 | 21 |
| 3 | US-40 Broad St | 17 | 18 |
| 4 | I-270 Jack Nicklaus Fwy | 16 | 18 |
| 5 | SR-16 Broad St | 14 | 16 |
| 6 | SR-3 Cleveland Ave | 13 | 15 |
| 7 | CR-17 Morse Rd | 13 | 13 |
| 8 | US-23 High St | 13 | 13 |
| 9 | US-33 Columbus Lancaster Rd | 11 | 12 |
| 10 | SR-161 Dublin Granville Rd | 11 | 11 |
Deaths by year
When crashes turn deadly
60% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 10 pm to 11 pm.
Saturday had the most fatal crashes (70), and 29% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, September was the worst (47 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Columbus, next to Ohio and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Columbus | Share | Ohio | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 70 | 17% | 22% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 109 | 27% | 32% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 28 | 7% | 14% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 84 | 21% | 7% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 111 | 26% | 12% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 74 | 17% | 18% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 11 | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 25 | 6% | 7% | 7% |
After a crash in Columbus
Crash reports here: how to get one from the Columbus Division of Police.
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Get the crash report
Statewide copies come from Ohio Department of Public Safety (Crash Retrieval, unofficial copies from all agencies) and Ohio State Highway Patrol Central Records (official copies of OSHP-investigated crashes), cost $4.00 per Ohio State Highway Patrol crash report (plus a 1.95% card fee, $1.75 minimum); the ODPS search for unofficial copies lists no fee and are usually ready OSHP reports can be ordered after 7 business days.
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Know your deadline
Ohio gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10(A)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: Ohio sets no notice-of-claim period for political subdivisions; an action against a political subdivision must be brought within two years after the cause of action accrues.
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Who pays
Ohio 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
You can recover if your fault is not greater than the combined fault of everyone else (50% or less), with your award reduced by your share; at 51% or more you recover nothing.
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Ohio 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 Ohio. Both take under a minute.
County around Columbus
| County | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 591 | 8.7 | 141 | 1,356,303 |
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.