Fatal crashes in Rhea County, Tennessee
In 2024, 3 people died in 3 fatal crashes in Rhea County, Tennessee, down from 4 in 2023. From 2015 to 2024 the county recorded 51 fatal crashes and 52 deaths, the 56th most of 95 counties in Tennessee.
Deaths in Rhea County by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | 3 |
| 2023 | 4 | 4 |
| 2022 | 9 | 9 |
| 2021 | 5 | 5 |
| 2020 | 3 | 3 |
| 2019 | 5 | 6 |
| 2018 | 5 | 5 |
| 2017 | 6 | 6 |
| 2016 | 2 | 2 |
| 2015 | 9 | 9 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
The deadliest roads in Rhea County
State Highway 30 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Rhea County from 2015 to 2024: 11, with 11 deaths. The 2 roads listed held 39% of all fatal crashes in Rhea County from 2015 to 2024; 2 state highways. 59% of the county's fatal crashes were on an interstate, US or state route; the other 41% were on county roads and city streets. Routes are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2022 to 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Highway 30 | 11 | 11 | 2 | no page |
| 2 | State Highway 68 | 9 | 10 | 1 |
Dayton had 24% of the county's fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, 12 of 51.
Cities NHTSA filed, with their fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024: Dayton 12. The city is not filed for crashes outside a city.
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen in Rhea County
46 fatal crashes in Rhea County, Tennessee 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 noon to 1 pm; the worst month is July.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 6.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 6.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Wed | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 6.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 6.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Fri | 4.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Sat | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash | 8.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crash |
By hour
By month
- Jan5.9%
- Feb7.8%
- Mar0.0%
- Apr7.8%
- May2.0%
- Jun9.8%
- Jul13.7%
- Aug11.8%
- Sep13.7%
- Oct3.9%
- Nov9.8%
- Dec13.7%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What fatal crashes in Rhea County first hit
The first harmful event was a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 45%; a collision with another vehicle in 37%, a rollover in 5.9%, a pedestrian in 2.0%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 23 | 45% |
| Collision with another vehicle | 19 | 37% |
| Other | 5 | 9.8% |
| Rollover | 3 | 5.9% |
| Pedestrian | 1 | 2.0% |
| 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 in Rhea County compare with Tennessee
The largest difference from Tennessee: from 2015 to 2024, 65% of fatal crashes in Rhea County were on rural roads, against 43% across Tennessee. Below the Tennessee share: pedestrians. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Tennessee. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 51 crashes.
| Rhea | Tennessee | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural roads | 65% | 43% | above the Tennessee share |
| At or near an intersection | 9.8% | 19% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 31% | 26% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| A drinking driver | 20% | 25% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| Speeding | 20% | 17% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 9.8% | 6.7% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 51% | 49% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| Hit-and-run | 2.0% | 6.6% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| A motorcycle involved | 18% | 15% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 1.9% | 13% | below the Tennessee 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 in Rhea County, Tennessee
- How many people died in car accidents in Rhea County in 2024?
- 3 people died in 3 fatal crashes in Rhea County, Tennessee, in 2024, down from 4 in 2023. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- What is the deadliest road in Rhea County?
- State Highway 30 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Rhea County from 2015 to 2024: 11, with 11 deaths.
- How many fatal crashes in Rhea County involved a drinking driver?
- 10 of 51 fatal crashes in Rhea County from 2015 to 2024 involved a driver NHTSA recorded as drinking, 20%, against 25% across Tennessee.
Other counties in Tennessee with a page
- Shelby County
- Davidson County
- Knox County
- Hamilton County
- Rutherford County
- Montgomery County
- Wilson County
- Sullivan County
- Blount County
- Greene County
- Madison County
- Sevier County
All fatal crashes in Tennessee, with every county ranked.
Where the Rhea County numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash NHTSA filed in Rhea County (county code 143). A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. The rate per 100,000 uses the Census Bureau's population estimate for the county; it is the only figure here not counted from FARS. Totals from state highway departments and news reports can differ: they count from their own crash reports, often before every death within 30 days is known, while NHTSA's file is checked against death certificates and revised once a year. The full method.
Download every county with a page as CSV. Free to reuse with credit: “Fatal Crash Data, fatalcrashdata.com/fatal-crashes/tennessee/rhea-county/, from NHTSA FARS (2024 Annual Report File).”