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Fatal car crashes in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
From 2020 through 2024, 280 people died in 262 crashes on roads in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
That is 9.9 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, above the Pennsylvania rate of 9.0 and below the US rate of 12.1.
US-222 (Prince St) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 20, killing 23.
Teens (15-19) were 9% of the people killed here, against 6% statewide.
In 2024, 52 people were killed, 11% more than in 2020 (47).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 563,293 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (262 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Pennsylvania 9.0, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 10% 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 Lancaster County
US-222 (Prince St) leads with 20 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-222 Prince St | 20 | 23 |
| 2 | SR-272 Lancaster Pike | 19 | 19 |
| 3 | US-30 Lincoln Hwy | 16 | 18 |
| 4 | SR-23 New Holland Pike | 14 | 15 |
| 5 | US-322 28Th Division Hwy | 10 | 12 |
| 6 | SR-72 Lancaster Rd | 9 | 10 |
| 7 | I-76 Mainline Tpke | 8 | 12 |
| 8 | SR-462 Columbia Ave | 7 | 7 |
| 9 | SR-372 Valley Rd | 5 | 6 |
| 10 | SR-897 Springville Rd | 5 | 6 |
Deaths by year
Lancaster County ranks 3rd of 63 Pennsylvania counties by deaths and 43rd by death rate (1st = highest), among counties with 10 or more fatal crashes.
When crashes turn deadly
40% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 8 pm to 9 pm.
Saturday had the most fatal crashes (52), and 34% 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 Lancaster County, next to Pennsylvania and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Lancaster County | Share | Pennsylvania | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 89 | 34% | 39% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 64 | 24% | 25% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 43 | 16% | 14% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 7 | 3% | 6% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 27 | 10% | 15% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 58 | 21% | 19% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 3 | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 24 | 9% | 6% | 7% |
After a crash in Lancaster County
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Get the crash report
Crashes investigated by municipal police are requested from that department, with the same eligibility under 75 Pa.C.S. 3751(b): for example Jefferson Hills Police charge $15 per copy (not until 15 days after the crash) and Philadelphia's Department of Records takes crash report applications online, with a 2 to 3 week processing estimate.
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Know your deadline
Pennsylvania gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5524(2)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: Within six months of the injury or accrual of the cause of action, a person about to sue a government unit must file a written statement of the claim with that unit (and with the Attorney General for Commonwealth parties).
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Who pays
Pennsylvania lets drivers choose between no-fault and traditional at-fault coverage.
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If you were partly at fault
You can recover if your negligence is not greater than the defendants' (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 Pennsylvania is $15,000 per injured person, $30,000 per crash and $5,000 for property (15/30/5).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Pennsylvania. Both take under a minute.
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon County, Pennsylvania | 25 mi | 94 | 12.9 | 5 | 145,319 |
| York County, Pennsylvania | 27 mi | 186 | 7.9 | 30 | 471,240 |
| Chester County, Pennsylvania | 27 mi | 150 | 5.4 | 11 | 560,745 |
| Berks County, Pennsylvania | 31 mi | 228 | 10.4 | 28 | 439,117 |
| Harford County, Maryland | 35 mi | 93 | 7.0 | 17 | 265,514 |
| Cecil County, Maryland | 37 mi | 105 | 19.8 | 13 | 106,305 |
| Dauphin County, Pennsylvania | 39 mi | 152 | 10.4 | 20 | 293,029 |
| New Castle County, Delaware | 46 mi | 336 | 11.4 | 93 | 588,093 |
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.