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Fatal car crashes in King County, Washington
From 2020 through 2024, 718 people died in 670 crashes on roads in King County, Washington.
That is 6.1 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, below the Washington rate of 8.9 and below the US rate of 12.1.
I-5 had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 66, killing 72.
Hit-and-runs made up 13% of fatal crashes here, against 7% statewide.
In 2024, 152 people were killed, 38% more than in 2020 (110).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 2,340,211 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (670 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Washington 8.9, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 32% 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 King County
I-5 leads with 66 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-5 | 66 | 72 |
| 2 | SR-99 Aurora Ave N | 58 | 61 |
| 3 | I-90 | 23 | 27 |
| 4 | SR-18 Ramp 018S101091 | 22 | 22 |
| 5 | SR-167 | 17 | 18 |
| 6 | I-405 | 14 | 15 |
| 7 | SR-516 | 13 | 14 |
| 8 | SR-509 | 12 | 12 |
| 9 | SR-164 | 10 | 11 |
| 10 | SR-169 | 9 | 9 |
Deaths by year
King County ranks 1st of 34 Washington counties by deaths and 33rd 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 8 pm to 9 pm.
Saturday had the most fatal crashes (128), and 33% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, October was the worst (76 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in King County, next to Washington and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | King County | Share | Washington | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 202 | 30% | 32% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 172 | 26% | 30% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 72 | 11% | 11% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 90 | 13% | 7% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 228 | 32% | 19% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 95 | 13% | 16% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 18 | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 39 | 5% | 7% | 7% |
After a crash in King County
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Get the crash report
Local police departments send requesters to WSP: the Seattle Police page says 'Washington State Patrol is the custodian of all collision reports within the State of Washington. You can request a copy of any collision report through their website,' and for collisions outside Seattle, contact the local agency or search the WSP collision report search.
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Know your deadline
Washington gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Wash. Rev. Code § 4.16.080(2)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: Before suing a city, county or other local government for damages, you must present a claim to its designated agent and wait 60 calendar days; the limitation period is tolled during those 60 days. (The three-year limitation period still applies.)
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Who pays
Washington 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 even if you were mostly at fault; your damages are reduced in proportion to your share of fault and you are never barred outright.
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Washington is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $10,000 for property (25/50/10).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Washington. Both take under a minute.
Cities in King County
| City | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 190 | 4.9 | 89 | 780,995 |
| Kent | 71 | 10.4 | 26 | 136,588 |
| Federal Way | 54 | 10.8 | 18 | 100,252 |
| Auburn | 52 | 12.2 | 10 | 85,513 |
| Renton | 41 | 7.8 | 11 | 105,543 |
| SeaTac | 31 | 18.2 | 8 | 34,024 |
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce County, Washington | 33 mi | 476 | 10.1 | 97 | 941,170 |
| Snohomish County, Washington | 40 mi | 253 | 5.9 | 66 | 864,113 |
| Kitsap County, Washington | 41 mi | 91 | 6.5 | 15 | 281,420 |
| Kittitas County, Washington | 59 mi | 50 | 20.8 | 4 | 48,172 |
| Thurston County, Washington | 61 mi | 121 | 8.0 | 24 | 302,912 |
| Chelan County, Washington | 62 mi | 42 | 10.3 | 1 | 81,228 |
| Island County, Washington | 62 mi | 37 | 8.6 | 6 | 86,478 |
| Mason County, Washington | 64 mi | 80 | 23.0 | 8 | 69,632 |
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.