Fatal car crashes in Smith County, Texas
From 2020 through 2024, 299 people died in 264 crashes on roads in Smith County, Texas.
That is 24.0 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, above the Texas rate of 13.6 and above the US rate of 12.1.
SR-31 (Chandler Hwy) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 32, killing 40.
In 2024, 53 people were killed, 7% fewer than in 2020 (57).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 249,091 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (264 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Texas 13.6, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 15% 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 Smith County
SR-31 (Chandler Hwy) leads with 32 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-31 Chandler Hwy | 32 | 40 |
| 2 | SR-110 Troup Hwy | 25 | 30 |
| 3 | SR-64 Erwin St | 23 | 25 |
| 4 | SR-323 Northwest Fwy | 21 | 24 |
| 5 | SR-155 Ankston Hwy | 21 | 22 |
| 6 | I-20 | 20 | 21 |
| 7 | US-69 Mineola Hwy | 17 | 18 |
| 8 | FM-346 | 10 | 11 |
| 9 | US-271 Gentry Pkwy | 6 | 7 |
| 10 | FM-14 Martin Luther King | 6 | 6 |
Deaths by year
Smith County ranks 10th of 207 Texas counties by deaths and 130th by death rate (1st = highest), among counties with 10 or more fatal crashes.
When crashes turn deadly
52% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 9 pm to 10 pm.
Friday had the most fatal crashes (52), and 30% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, April was the worst (31 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Smith County, next to Texas and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Smith County | Share | Texas | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 75 | 28% | 35% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 44 | 17% | 25% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 41 | 16% | 17% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 15 | 6% | 9% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 44 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 41 | 14% | 13% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 3 | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 19 | 6% | 7% | 7% |
After a crash in Smith County
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Get the crash report
City police and county agencies submit their crash reports to TxDOT, and they send requesters to the same CRIS purchase system: for example the Fort Bend County Constable Precinct 2 says its crash reports are purchased through the state online system, and Texas State University Police direct requests to TxDOT Crash Reports and Records.
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Know your deadline
Texas gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: A governmental unit is entitled to notice of a claim not later than six months after the incident; city charters may set a shorter period. Notice is not required if the unit has actual notice of the death, injury or property damage.
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Who pays
Texas 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 you are 50% or less responsible, with your damages reduced by your percentage; if you are more than 50% responsible you recover nothing.
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Texas is $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (30/60/25).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Texas. Both take under a minute.
Cities in Smith County
| City | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler | 77 | 13.7 | 26 | 112,219 |
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gregg County, Texas | 28 mi | 132 | 20.8 | 32 | 126,679 |
| Wood County, Texas | 29 mi | 63 | 25.9 | 2 | 48,742 |
| Upshur County, Texas | 31 mi | 69 | 31.3 | 4 | 44,050 |
| Rusk County, Texas | 35 mi | 88 | 33.0 | 8 | 53,391 |
| Van Zandt County, Texas | 35 mi | 98 | 30.0 | 12 | 65,304 |
| Henderson County, Texas | 36 mi | 102 | 23.3 | 7 | 87,467 |
| Cherokee County, Texas | 37 mi | 68 | 25.6 | 8 | 53,223 |
| Anderson County, Texas | 43 mi | 73 | 24.5 | 4 | 59,512 |
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.