I-90 in South Dakota: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 107 fatal crashes on I-90 in South Dakota killed 122 people, the most of any numbered road in South Dakota. In 2024 there were 13 fatal crashes and 14 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 12 counties of South Dakota. All fatal crashes in South Dakota. I-90 in every state.
Deaths on I-90 in South Dakota by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 13 | 14 |
| 2023 | 20 | 23 |
| 2022 | 9 | 10 |
| 2021 | 12 | 13 |
| 2020 | 8 | 10 |
| 2019 | 5 | 5 |
| 2018 | 10 | 11 |
| 2017 | 8 | 10 |
| 2016 | 7 | 8 |
| 2015 | 15 | 18 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-90 in South Dakota: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Pennington County had the most fatal crashes on I-90 from 2015 to 2024: 21, with 21 deaths. Pennington, Minnehaha and Meade counties together held 44% of fatal crashes on I-90 in South Dakota from 2015 to 2024; the 9 listed held 91%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennington County | 2 | 21 | 21 |
| 2 | Minnehaha County | 2 | 13 | 17 |
| 3 | Meade County | 2 | 13 | 13 |
| 4 | Lawrence County | 0 | 12 | 14 |
| 5 | Jones County | 0 | 9 | 10 |
| 6 | Jackson County | 3 | 9 | 9 |
| 7 | Hanson County | 1 | 7 | 11 |
| 8 | Aurora County | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| 9 | Lyman County | 1 | 6 | 7 |
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-90 in South Dakota
107 fatal crashes on I-90 in South Dakota 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 11 am to noon; 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 | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.7 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 5.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Thu | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 7.5 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 4.7 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan4.7%
- Feb0.9%
- Mar3.7%
- Apr8.4%
- May2.8%
- Jun2.8%
- Jul9.3%
- Aug27.1%
- Sep9.3%
- Oct15.9%
- Nov8.4%
- Dec6.5%
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-90 in South Dakota
2.6 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 413 miles of I-90 in South Dakota, against 2.3 for all interstates in South Dakota. That ranks 1 of 2 interstates in South Dakota and 166 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-90 in South Dakota first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 36%; a rollover in 31%, a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 22%, a pedestrian in 3.7%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 39 | 36% |
| Rollover | 33 | 31% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 24 | 22% |
| Other | 7 | 6.5% |
| Pedestrian | 4 | 3.7% |
| Cyclist | 0 | 0.0% |
| Parked vehicle | 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-90 in South Dakota compare with the state
The largest difference from South Dakota: from 2015 to 2024, 0.0% of fatal crashes on I-90 in South Dakota were at or near an intersection, against 19% across South Dakota. Below the South Dakota share: drinking drivers. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of South Dakota. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 107 crashes.
| I-90 | South Dakota | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 83% | 82% | about the same as the South Dakota share |
| At or near an intersection | 0.0% | 19% | below the South Dakota share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 31% | 31% | about the same as the South Dakota share |
| A drinking driver | 21% | 35% | below the South Dakota share |
| Speeding | 25% | 27% | about the same as the South Dakota share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 8.4% | 5.9% | about the same as the South Dakota share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 64% | 66% | about the same as the South Dakota share |
| Hit-and-run | 0.0% | 1.8% | about the same as the South Dakota share |
| A motorcycle involved | 19% | 19% | about the same as the South Dakota share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 3.3% | 7.7% | about the same as the South Dakota 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-90 in South Dakota
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-90 in South Dakota?
- 107 fatal crashes killed 122 people on I-90 in South Dakota from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 13 fatal crashes and 14 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-90 in South Dakota do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Pennington County had the most fatal crashes on I-90 from 2015 to 2024: 21, with 21 deaths. Minnehaha County was second with 13.
- How dangerous is I-90 in South Dakota per mile?
- 2.6 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 413 miles of road, against 2.3 for all interstates in South Dakota. That ranks 1 of 2 interstates in South Dakota and 166 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 South Dakota with a page
All fatal crashes in South Dakota, with every road ranked.
Where the I-90 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-90 in South Dakota (filed under 3 spellings, such as "I-90 E", "I-90 W", "I-90 W2"). 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.