Fatal Crashes Only
This report covers fatal crashes only, from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System — the federal census of every crash on a US public road that killed someone within 30 days. It does not include injury or property-damage-only crashes, and its totals are not comparable with the all-severity crash reports published elsewhere on this site.
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YEAR-OVER-YEAR CRASH REPORT · DELAWARE · SEPTEMBER 2023
Purpose: Machine-readable JSON endpoint for AI agents, LLMs, researchers, and programmatic consumers. Returns all underlying crash data and AI-generated commentary without HTML.
Authentication: None required. Public endpoint.
GET: https://thatcarhitme.com/api/crash-data/reports/data/delaware/fatal/statewide/september-2023-report
Monthly Traffic Safety Analysis
15 CRASHES IN
DELAWARE
SEPTEMBER 2023
In September 2023, there were 15 fatal crashes, a slight increase from 14 fatal crashes in September 2022. The number of fatal crashes occurring on Major Collector roads saw a notable increase during this period.
15
▲ 7.1%was 14
Total Crash Events
15
▲ 7.1%was 14
Persons Killed
10
▲ 25.0%was 8
Persons Injured
2
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (15) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (15) counts crash events where at least one fatality occurred. A single crash can result in multiple fatalities.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Aggregate counts from crash, person, and vehicle records
Trend Summary
Overall, fatal crash activity saw a slight increase, with 15 fatal crashes recorded in September 2023 compared to 14 in September 2022. Fatalities also increased from 14 to 15, and total injuries rose from 8 to 10 during this period.
2
Hit-and-Run Crashes — September 2023
▼ 0.0% vs prior (2)
Hit-and-run fatal crashes remained stable at 2 in both September 2023 and September 2022. The rate of hit-and-run fatal crashes decreased slightly from 14.3% to 13.3%.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
3
Pedestrians Killed
2
Cyclists Killed
9
Motorists Killed
1
Other Killed
0
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
10
Motorists Injured
0
Other Injured
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Mode classified from person records (driver/passenger → motorist; pedestrian; bicyclist → cyclist; in-line skater / unspecified → other)
When Crashes Happen
The peak day for fatal crashes shifted, with September 2023 seeing peaks on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, each with 3 crashes, compared to Sunday and Saturday each with 4 crashes in September 2022. The peak hour shifted from early morning (1a and 5a) in the prior period to morning and evening (7a and 5p) in the current period.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash date field aggregated by weekday
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash time field aggregated by hour (0-23)
Road & Environmental Conditions
Clear weather remained the most common condition for fatal crashes, accounting for 10 events in September 2023 compared to 11 in September 2022. Fatal crashes occurring in daylight increased from 5 to 8, while those in unlit dark conditions decreased from 6 to 3.
Weather
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Weather condition at time of crash
Lighting
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Lighting condition field
Vehicles & Demographics
Top Vehicle Makes (23 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Vehicle unit records
1 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (38 persons with recorded sex)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Speed Limit Zones
Fatal crashes at 50 mph increased from 4 to 6, while crashes at 55 mph decreased from 4 to 1. Crashes at 35 mph increased from 1 to 3. The prior period recorded 3 crashes at 40 mph, a category not present in the current period, while the current period recorded 3 crashes at 45 mph.
Fatal crashes by zone: 25 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 35 mph: 3 of 3 (100%) · 45 mph: 3 of 3 (100%) · 50 mph: 6 of 6 (100%) · 55 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 65 mph: 1 of 1 (100%)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Posted speed limit at crash location
Manner of Collision
The category 'The First Harmful Event was Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport' remained the dominant manner of collision, with 9 fatal crashes in both periods. Front-to-Rear fatal crashes increased from 1 to 2, while Angle and Front-to-Front collisions remained stable at 3 and 1 respectively.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
The most common vehicle body types involved in fatal crashes in September 2023 were 4-door sedans, Compact Utility vehicles, and Large utility vehicles, each with 4 occurrences. Compared to the prior period, 4-door sedans increased from 2 to 4, Compact Utility vehicles increased from 3 to 4, and Large utility vehicles increased from 2 to 4. Two-wheel motorcycles were involved in 2 fatal crashes in both periods.
Vehicle Type
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Vehicle unit records
Rural vs Urban
Urban areas accounted for the majority of fatal crashes, increasing from 8 to 10. Fatal crashes in rural areas slightly decreased from 6 to 5.
Rural vs Urban
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Roadway Functional Class
Fatal crashes on Major Collector roads increased from 1 in September 2022 to 7 in September 2023. Fatal crashes on Local roads decreased from 4 to 2, and on Interstates, they decreased from 2 to 1.
Roadway Functional Class
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Roadway Ownership
In September 2023, 14 fatal crashes occurred on roadways owned by a State Highway Agency, while 1 fatal crash occurred on a City or Municipal Highway Agency road.
Roadway Ownership
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Person Type
Drivers remained the most frequent person type involved in fatal crashes, increasing from 19 to 23. Passengers involved in fatal crashes doubled from 5 to 10. Pedestrians involved in fatal crashes decreased from 4 to 3, while bicyclists remained stable at 2.
Person Type
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
Fatalities (K) increased from 14 to 15. The number of persons with minor injuries (B) decreased from 5 to 4, while those with possible injuries (C) increased from 0 to 6. Persons with no injuries (O) increased from 8 to 14.
Person Injury Severity
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Occupant Safety Equipment
The number of persons using shoulder and lap belts in fatal crashes increased from 13 to 24. The number of persons for whom no safety equipment was used or applicable decreased from 7 to 5.
Occupant Safety Equipment
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Point of Impact
The '12 Clock Point' (front impact) remained the most common point of impact, increasing from 10 to 16 fatal crashes. '6 Clock Point' (rear impact) increased from 1 to 2 fatal crashes.
Point of Impact
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Vehicle unit records
Vehicles Per Crash
Single-vehicle fatal crashes increased from 8 to 9, while two-vehicle fatal crashes decreased from 6 to 5. The current period also recorded one fatal crash involving 4 vehicles, a category not present in the prior period.
Vehicles Per Crash
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Data Sources & Methodology
Primary Data Source
All crash data in this report is sourced from NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes), accessed programmatically via the NHTSA FARS Open Data API (SODA). This dataset contains official police-reported motor vehicle traffic crash records maintained by the reporting jurisdiction's law enforcement agency. Records are published to the open data portal by the municipality and are subject to the portal's terms of use.
Data Retrieval
- Access method: NHTSA FARS Open Data API (SoQL queries)
- Data format: Structured JSON via REST API
- Record types queried: Crash events, person records, and vehicle unit records
- Date filter applied: 2023-09-01 through 2023-09-30
- Report generated: August 5, 2026
Data Coverage
- Reporting period: 2023-09-01 through 2023-09-30 (30 days)
- Geographic scope: Delaware
- Total crash records analyzed: 15
- Total persons involved: 39
- Total vehicles involved: 23
Analytical Methodology
- Severity classification: Uses the KABCO injury scale (K=Fatal, A=Incapacitating injury, B=Non-incapacitating injury, C=Possible injury, O=No injury/property damage only), the standard classification in U.S. Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC). Severity is assigned per crash event based on the most severe injury in that crash. A single fatal crash (K) may involve multiple fatalities; therefore the "Persons Killed" count in the headline KPIs may differ from the "Fatal" crash count in the severity breakdown.
- Contributing factors: Reflect the officer-determined primary contributory cause recorded at the time of the crash report. These are preliminary determinations and may not reflect final investigation findings.
- Hit-and-run classification: Based on the hit-and-run indicator field in the official crash report, as determined by the responding officer at the scene.
- Temporal analysis: Day-of-week and hour-of-day distributions are computed from the crash date/time timestamp in each record.
- Demographics: Age and sex distributions are drawn from person-level records linked to each crash event. A single crash may involve multiple persons.
- Vehicle data: Make information is drawn from vehicle unit records linked to each crash event.
- AI commentary: Narrative sections are generated by Google Gemini (large language model) based on the structured data. Commentary is descriptive, not predictive, and should not be interpreted as expert opinion.
Limitations & Disclaimers
- Only crashes reported to and documented by law enforcement are included. Minor incidents, unreported crashes, and near-misses are not captured in this dataset.
- Data reflects conditions at the time of the initial police report and may be subject to subsequent corrections, reclassifications, or supplements by the reporting agency.
- Open data portal records may experience a publication lag - recently occurring crashes may not yet appear in the dataset at the time of report generation.
- AI-generated commentary is produced by a large language model and is intended to highlight patterns in the data. It does not constitute legal, medical, or professional analysis.
- Percentages are calculated from reported data and are subject to rounding.
Non-Affiliation Disclosure
This report is produced independently by ThatCarHitMe.com (Injuria.ai). It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in partnership with any law enforcement agency, municipal government, state department of transportation, or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data is sourced from publicly available government open data portals.
Data License
The underlying crash data is provided under the municipality's Open Data Terms of Use and is made available to the public for unrestricted use. This analysis and report is © 2026 Injuria.ai and may be cited with attribution using the suggested citation below.
Corrections & Feedback
If you believe any data in this report is inaccurate or have questions about our methodology, please contact: data@injuria.ai. We are committed to accuracy and will issue corrections promptly.
Suggested Citation
ThatCarHitMe.com (Injuria.ai). "Delaware Crash Intelligence Report: September 2023." Published August 5, 2026. Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30. Data source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes), NHTSA FARS Open Data. Available at: https://thatcarhitme.com/crash-data/delaware/fatal/statewide/september-2023-report
About the Publisher
ThatCarHitMe.com is a crash data intelligence platform developed by Injuria.ai, a legal technology company specializing in traffic safety analytics. We aggregate and analyze publicly available government crash data to produce structured intelligence reports for communities, researchers, journalists, and legal professionals. Our reports combine programmatic data retrieval from official open data portals with AI-assisted narrative analysis.
Questions about this report's data or methodology: data@injuria.ai
ThatCarHitMe.com · An Injuria.ai Company
ThatCarHitMe.com
An Injuria.ai Company
Crash Data Intelligence
Data: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · NHTSA FARS
Period: 2023-09-01 – 2023-09-30
Generated: August 5, 2026 · All rights reserved
Someone you love in this data? We’ll help you find out if you have a case.
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