I-74 in Indiana: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 54 fatal crashes on I-74 in Indiana killed 56 people, the 20th most of 431 numbered roads in Indiana. In 2024 there were 7 fatal crashes and 7 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 10 counties of Indiana. All fatal crashes in Indiana. I-74 in every state.
Deaths on I-74 in Indiana by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 7 | 7 |
| 2023 | 7 | 7 |
| 2022 | 10 | 10 |
| 2021 | 4 | 5 |
| 2020 | 5 | 5 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 |
| 2017 | 3 | 3 |
| 2016 | 9 | 9 |
| 2015 | 7 | 8 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-74 in Indiana: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Shelby County had the most fatal crashes on I-74 from 2015 to 2024: 15, with 17 deaths. Shelby, Decatur and Fountain counties together held 52% of fatal crashes on I-74 in Indiana from 2015 to 2024; the 6 listed held 81%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelby County | 4 | 15 | 17 |
| 2 | Decatur County | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| 3 | Fountain County | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Marion County | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | Dearborn County | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| 6 | Montgomery County | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen on I-74 in Indiana
54 fatal crashes on I-74 in Indiana from 2015 to 2024 have a known time, too few for any one weekday and time of day to stand out. The worst hour is 1 am to 2 am; the worst month is October.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 3.7 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 7.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.7 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Tue | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 7.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Wed | 5.6 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 5.6 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 9.3 percent, 5 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.7 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 7.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Fri | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.7 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan3.7%
- Feb5.6%
- Mar5.6%
- Apr1.9%
- May5.6%
- Jun1.9%
- Jul9.3%
- Aug13.0%
- Sep11.1%
- Oct20.4%
- Nov14.8%
- Dec7.4%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Fatal crashes per mile on I-74 in Indiana
3.6 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 151 miles of I-74 in Indiana, against 5.2 for all interstates in Indiana. That ranks 4 of 5 interstates in Indiana and 154 of 172 interstate pages on this site.
Mileage from the FHWA Interstate route log (table 1), the only figure here not counted from FARS. Crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle: FARS records crashes, not traffic.
What fatal crashes on I-74 in Indiana first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 43%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 26%, a pedestrian in 15%, a rollover in 9.3%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 23 | 43% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 14 | 26% |
| Pedestrian | 8 | 15% |
| Rollover | 5 | 9.3% |
| Other | 3 | 5.6% |
| Parked vehicle | 1 | 1.9% |
| Cyclist | 0 | 0.0% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes on I-74 in Indiana compare with the state
The largest difference from Indiana: from 2015 to 2024, 59% of fatal crashes on I-74 in Indiana were in the dark on unlit roads, against 31% across Indiana. Also above the Indiana share: rural roads. Below it: intersections. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Indiana. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 54 crashes.
| I-74 | Indiana | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 80% | 58% | above the Indiana share |
| At or near an intersection | 0.0% | 27% | below the Indiana share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 59% | 31% | above the Indiana share |
| A drinking driver | 11% | 20% | about the same as the Indiana share |
| Speeding | 28% | 26% | about the same as the Indiana share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 3.7% | 5.7% | about the same as the Indiana share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 35% | 46% | about the same as the Indiana share |
| Hit-and-run | 1.9% | 5.3% | about the same as the Indiana share |
| A motorcycle involved | 7.4% | 16% | about the same as the Indiana share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 14% | 11% | about the same as the Indiana share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes on I-74 in Indiana
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-74 in Indiana?
- 54 fatal crashes killed 56 people on I-74 in Indiana from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 7 fatal crashes and 7 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-74 in Indiana do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Shelby County had the most fatal crashes on I-74 from 2015 to 2024: 15, with 17 deaths. Decatur County was second with 7.
- How dangerous is I-74 in Indiana per mile?
- 3.6 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 151 miles of road, against 5.2 for all interstates in Indiana. That ranks 4 of 5 interstates in Indiana and 154 of 172 interstate pages on this site. FARS records crashes, not traffic, so this is crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle.
Other roads in Indiana with a page
- I-465
- I-65
- I-69
- I-70
- I-80
- State Highway 135
- State Highway 19
- State Highway 3
- State Highway 37
- State Highway 62
- State Highway 64
- State Highway 67
All fatal crashes in Indiana, with every road ranked.
Where the I-74 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-74 in Indiana (filed under 4 spellings, such as "I- 74", "I-74", "I-74 E", "I-74 W"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. Where two routes share a road, NHTSA files each crash under one of them, so a shared stretch counts on one route only. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Totals in state and news reports for a road usually differ: they include ramps and frontage roads, or count from preliminary reports. The full method.