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Fatal car crashes in South Dakota, county by county
From 2020 through 2024, 712 people died in 646 crashes on South Dakota roads. That is 15.4 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, above the US rate of 12.1, and the 14th highest rate of the 50 states and DC.
Minnehaha County had the most deaths (88). The road stretch with the most fatal crashes was I-90 in Pennington County (12). In 2024, 146 people were killed, 4% more than in 2020.
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024
deaths a year per 100,000 residents, 14th highest of 51 (US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 9% of deaths (US 18%)
of fatal crashes were speeding-related (US 28%)
Death rate by county
Deaths a year per 100,000 residents, 2020-2024. Rural counties often rank highest: fewer people, faster roads and longer waits for an ambulance.
The most dangerous roads in South Dakota
Fatal crashes by road within each county, 2020-2024. A long interstate shows up once per county it crosses.
| # | Road | Where | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-90 | Pennington County, SD | 12 | 12 |
| 2 | SR-44 | Pennington County, SD | 9 | 10 |
| 3 | I-90 | Meade County, SD | 9 | 9 |
| 4 | US-16 | Pennington County, SD | 9 | 9 |
| 5 | US-18 | Fall River County, SD | 8 | 10 |
| 6 | I-90 | Lawrence County, SD | 8 | 10 |
| 7 | US-18 | Oglala Lakota County, SD | 8 | 9 |
| 8 | US-14 | Lawrence County, SD | 8 | 8 |
| 9 | I-29 | Union County, SD | 8 | 8 |
| 10 | US-14A | Lawrence County, SD | 7 | 8 |
| 11 | I-90 | Jackson County, SD | 7 | 7 |
| 12 | SR-42 E 10Th St | Minnehaha County, SD | 6 | 8 |
| 13 | SR-46 | Charles Mix County, SD | 6 | 7 |
| 14 | I-90 | Minnehaha County, SD | 5 | 8 |
| 15 | I-29 | Lincoln County, SD | 5 | 5 |
Deaths by year
Every South Dakota county
19 counties with 10 or more fatal crashes in five years, by deaths. 46 more had fewer than 10 and are listed after the table.
| County | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha County | 88 | 8.4 | 14 | 208,639 |
| Pennington County | 77 | 13.3 | 10 | 115,979 |
| Lawrence County | 47 | 32.6 | 3 | 28,809 |
| Lincoln County | 36 | 9.6 | 1 | 75,244 |
| Meade County | 23 | 14.9 | 0 | 30,918 |
| Oglala Lakota County | 21 | 31.4 | 7 | 13,360 |
| Charles Mix County | 20 | 42.8 | 2 | 9,343 |
| Codington County | 20 | 13.7 | 1 | 29,278 |
| Hutchinson County | 19 | 51.2 | 0 | 7,416 |
| Brown County | 16 | 8.5 | 0 | 37,495 |
| Custer County | 16 | 34.3 | 0 | 9,330 |
| Fall River County | 16 | 43.5 | 2 | 7,359 |
| Jackson County | 13 | 95.0 | 1 | 2,737 |
| Yankton County | 13 | 11.1 | 1 | 23,509 |
| Roberts County | 12 | 23.3 | 3 | 10,283 |
| Union County | 12 | 13.8 | 1 | 17,402 |
| Buffalo County | 11 | 120.5 | 2 | 1,825 |
| Butte County | 11 | 20.2 | 1 | 10,891 |
| Turner County | 10 | 22.0 | 0 | 9,087 |
Fewer than 10 fatal crashes, 2020-2024: Aurora County (8 deaths), Beadle County (10 deaths), Bennett County (7 deaths), Bon Homme County (8 deaths), Brookings County (10 deaths), Brule County (5 deaths), Clark County (3 deaths), Clay County (5 deaths), Corson County (9 deaths), Davison County (5 deaths), Day County (3 deaths), Deuel County (6 deaths), Dewey County (7 deaths), Douglas County (2 deaths), Edmunds County (2 deaths), Faulk County (1 death), Grant County (9 deaths), Gregory County (4 deaths), Haakon County (6 deaths), Hamlin County (4 deaths), Hand County (1 death), Hanson County (5 deaths), Harding County (3 deaths), Hughes County (5 deaths), Hyde County (2 deaths), Jerauld County (2 deaths), Jones County (9 deaths), Kingsbury County (4 deaths), Lake County (5 deaths), Lyman County (9 deaths), McCook County (11 deaths), McPherson County (1 death), Marshall County (3 deaths), Mellette County (2 deaths), Miner County (3 deaths), Moody County (8 deaths), Perkins County (1 death), Potter County (2 deaths), Sanborn County (1 death), Spink County (5 deaths), Stanley County (3 deaths), Sully County (2 deaths), Todd County (1 death), Tripp County (10 deaths), Walworth County (5 deaths), Ziebach County (2 deaths).
What was involved
| Factor | South Dakota | Share | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 168 | 26% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 220 | 34% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 120 | 19% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 16 | 2% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 63 | 9% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 124 | 17% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 6 | 1% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 48 | 7% | 7% |
After a crash in South Dakota
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Get the crash report
County and municipal law enforcement may collect $4 for each copy of an accident report they furnish, so sheriffs and city police give copies directly as well (Lincoln County also offers the state's online system).
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Know your deadline
South Dakota gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (S.D. Codified Laws § 15-2-14(3)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: Written notice of the time, place and cause of the injury must be given to the public entity within 180 days after the injury, or the action cannot be maintained.
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Who pays
South Dakota 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 only if your own negligence was 'slight' compared with the defendant's; your damages are then reduced by your share, and if your negligence was more than slight you recover nothing.
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in South Dakota 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 South Dakota. Both take under a minute.