State Highway 3 in West Virginia: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 36 fatal crashes on State Highway 3 in West Virginia killed 40 people, the 15th most of 128 numbered roads in West Virginia. In 2024 there were 8 fatal crashes and 9 deaths on the road.
A state highway running through 6 counties of West Virginia. All fatal crashes in West Virginia.
Deaths on State Highway 3 in West Virginia by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | 9 |
| 2023 | 4 | 6 |
| 2022 | 3 | 3 |
| 2021 | 5 | 5 |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 |
| 2018 | 3 | 3 |
| 2017 | 4 | 4 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 6 | 7 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on State Highway 3 in West Virginia: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Raleigh County had the most fatal crashes on State Highway 3 from 2015 to 2024: 19, with 22 deaths. Raleigh, Summers and Lincoln counties together held 83% of fatal crashes on State Highway 3 in West Virginia from 2015 to 2024. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raleigh County | 4 | 19 | 22 |
| 2 | Summers County | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| 3 | Lincoln 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 State Highway 3 in West Virginia
36 fatal crashes on State Highway 3 in West Virginia 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 6 am to 7 am; the worst month is April.
| 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 | 5.6 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.8 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 5.6 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 5.6 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.8 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 5.6 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 5.6 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 5.6 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 8.3 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 8.3 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 8.3 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 5.6 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 2.8 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 | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 2.8 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 1 fatal crash | 8.3 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan5.6%
- Feb0.0%
- Mar5.6%
- Apr13.9%
- May5.6%
- Jun5.6%
- Jul5.6%
- Aug13.9%
- Sep13.9%
- Oct11.1%
- Nov5.6%
- Dec13.9%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What fatal crashes on State Highway 3 in West Virginia first hit
The first harmful event was a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 50%; a collision with another vehicle in 39%, a pedestrian in 5.6%, a rollover in 5.6%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 18 | 50% |
| Collision with another vehicle | 14 | 39% |
| Pedestrian | 2 | 5.6% |
| Rollover | 2 | 5.6% |
| Cyclist | 0 | 0.0% |
| Parked vehicle | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | 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 State Highway 3 in West Virginia compare with the state
From 2015 to 2024, every share for State Highway 3 in West Virginia is within chance of the West Virginia share. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of West Virginia. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 36 crashes.
| State Highway 3 | West Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 69% | 64% | about the same as the West Virginia share |
| At or near an intersection | 5.6% | 12% | about the same as the West Virginia share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 22% | 32% | about the same as the West Virginia share |
| A drinking driver | 28% | 27% | about the same as the West Virginia share |
| Speeding | 31% | 27% | about the same as the West Virginia share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 5.6% | 4.4% | about the same as the West Virginia share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 50% | 52% | about the same as the West Virginia share |
| Hit-and-run | 2.8% | 3.3% | about the same as the West Virginia share |
| A motorcycle involved | 17% | 13% | about the same as the West Virginia share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 7.5% | 8.7% | about the same as the West Virginia 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 State Highway 3 in West Virginia
- How many fatal crashes have there been on State Highway 3 in West Virginia?
- 36 fatal crashes killed 40 people on State Highway 3 in West Virginia from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 8 fatal crashes and 9 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on State Highway 3 in West Virginia do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Raleigh County had the most fatal crashes on State Highway 3 from 2015 to 2024: 19, with 22 deaths. Summers County was second with 6.
Other roads in West Virginia with a page
All fatal crashes in West Virginia, with every road ranked.
Where the State Highway 3 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as State Highway 3 in West Virginia (filed under 8 spellings, such as "SR-3", "SR-3 BEECH RUN RD", "SR-3 COAL RIVER RD", "SR-3 COURT AVE"). 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.