I-49 in Missouri: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 86 fatal crashes on I-49 in Missouri killed 95 people, the 14th most of 251 numbered roads in Missouri. In 2024 there were 16 fatal crashes and 18 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 8 counties of Missouri. All fatal crashes in Missouri. I-49 in every state.
Deaths on I-49 in Missouri by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 16 | 18 |
| 2023 | 4 | 4 |
| 2022 | 11 | 12 |
| 2021 | 4 | 4 |
| 2020 | 9 | 9 |
| 2019 | 10 | 11 |
| 2018 | 12 | 13 |
| 2017 | 5 | 7 |
| 2016 | 7 | 8 |
| 2015 | 8 | 9 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-49 in Missouri: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Cass County had the most fatal crashes on I-49 from 2015 to 2024: 32, with 36 deaths. Cass, Jackson and Newton counties together held 64% of fatal crashes on I-49 in Missouri from 2015 to 2024; the 7 listed held 98%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cass County | 3 | 32 | 36 |
| 2 | Jackson County | 3 | 14 | 16 |
| 3 | Newton County | 1 | 9 | 9 |
| 4 | Jasper County | 3 | 8 | 9 |
| 5 | Bates County | 3 | 8 | 8 |
| 6 | Vernon County | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| 7 | McDonald County | 1 | 5 | 6 |
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-49 in Missouri
86 fatal crashes on I-49 in Missouri 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 3 am to 4 am; the worst month is August.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 4.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 7.0 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Mon | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 4.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 4.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Thu | 3.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Fri | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 5.8 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 5.8 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 3.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan9.3%
- Feb4.7%
- Mar3.5%
- Apr7.0%
- May7.0%
- Jun5.8%
- Jul10.5%
- Aug12.8%
- Sep8.1%
- Oct10.5%
- Nov10.5%
- Dec10.5%
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-49 in Missouri
4.8 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 178 miles of I-49 in Missouri, against 9.4 for all interstates in Missouri. That ranks 4 of 4 interstates in Missouri and 137 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-49 in Missouri first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 35%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 29%, a rollover in 14%, a pedestrian in 12%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 30 | 35% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 25 | 29% |
| Rollover | 12 | 14% |
| Pedestrian | 10 | 12% |
| Other | 5 | 5.8% |
| Cyclist | 3 | 3.5% |
| Parked vehicle | 1 | 1.2% |
| 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-49 in Missouri compare with the state
The largest difference from Missouri: from 2015 to 2024, 3.5% of fatal crashes on I-49 in Missouri were at or near an intersection, against 21% across Missouri. Also above the Missouri share: unlit roads at night. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Missouri. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 86 crashes.
| I-49 | Missouri | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 58% | 52% | about the same as the Missouri share |
| At or near an intersection | 3.5% | 21% | below the Missouri share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 42% | 28% | above the Missouri share |
| A drinking driver | 23% | 28% | about the same as the Missouri share |
| Speeding | 37% | 37% | about the same as the Missouri share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 9.3% | 8.9% | about the same as the Missouri share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 57% | 63% | about the same as the Missouri share |
| Hit-and-run | 4.7% | 5.2% | about the same as the Missouri share |
| A motorcycle involved | 16% | 15% | about the same as the Missouri share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 13% | 12% | about the same as the Missouri 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-49 in Missouri
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-49 in Missouri?
- 86 fatal crashes killed 95 people on I-49 in Missouri from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 16 fatal crashes and 18 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-49 in Missouri do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Cass County had the most fatal crashes on I-49 from 2015 to 2024: 32, with 36 deaths. Jackson County was second with 14.
- How dangerous is I-49 in Missouri per mile?
- 4.8 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 178 miles of road, against 9.4 for all interstates in Missouri. That ranks 4 of 4 interstates in Missouri and 137 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 Missouri with a page
- I-270
- I-435
- I-44
- I-55
- I-70
- State Highway 100
- State Highway 13
- State Highway 21
- State Highway 30
- State Highway 32
- State Highway 43
- State Highway 5
All fatal crashes in Missouri, with every road ranked.
Where the I-49 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-49 in Missouri (filed under 9 spellings, such as "I-49", "I-49 EOR", "I-49 RP", "I-49 RP 1034962"). 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.