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 · WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA · 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.
Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis
39 CRASHES IN
WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
2023
Fatal crashes in WASHINGTON increased by 39.3% year-over-year, rising from 28 fatal crashes in 2022 to 39 fatal crashes in 2023. This increase was accompanied by a significant 120% rise in hit-and-run fatal crashes, from 5 in 2022 to 11 in 2023.
39
▲ 39.3%was 28
Total Crash Events
44
▲ 37.5%was 32
Persons Killed
31
▲ 63.2%was 19
Persons Injured
11
▲ 120.0%was 5
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (44) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (39) 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 · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Aggregate counts from crash, person, and vehicle records
Trend Summary
The overall trend indicates a notable increase in fatal crashes, with a rise from 28 fatal crashes in 2022 to 39 fatal crashes in 2023. This represents a 39.3% increase in fatal crash events year-over-year.
11
Hit-and-Run Crashes — 2023
▲ 120.0% vs prior (5)
Hit-and-run fatal crashes increased significantly, rising from 5 fatal crashes in 2022 to 11 fatal crashes in 2023. This change resulted in the hit-and-run rate for fatal crashes increasing from 17.9% to 28.2% year-over-year.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
14
Pedestrians Killed
3
Cyclists Killed
27
Motorists Killed
1
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
30
Motorists Injured
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · 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 from Friday with 7 fatal crashes in 2022 to Thursday with 10 fatal crashes in 2023. The peak hour for fatal crashes also shifted from 2 AM with 4 fatal crashes in 2022 to 12 AM with 7 fatal crashes in 2023.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash date field aggregated by weekday
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash time field aggregated by hour (0-23)
Road & Environmental Conditions
Clear weather conditions remained the most common factor in fatal crashes, accounting for 37 fatal crashes in 2023, up from 26 in 2022. Crashes occurring in dark but lighted conditions were also dominant, increasing from 18 fatal crashes in 2022 to 25 in 2023. Data for road surface conditions was not available for comparison in either period.
Weather
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Weather condition at time of crash
Lighting
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Lighting condition field
Vehicles & Demographics
Top Vehicle Makes (57 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
8 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (94 persons with recorded sex)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Speed Limit Zones
Fatal crashes in 25 mph speed zones increased from 13 in 2022 to 23 in 2023, making it the most frequent speed zone for fatal crashes in both periods. Conversely, fatal crashes in 20 mph zones decreased from 10 in 2022 to 5 in 2023.
Fatal crashes by zone: 15 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 20 mph: 5 of 5 (100%) · 25 mph: 23 of 23 (100%) · 30 mph: 4 of 4 (100%) · 35 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 40 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 45 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 50 mph: 2 of 2 (100%)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Posted speed limit at crash location
Manner of Collision
The dominant manner of collision in both periods was 'The First Harmful Event was Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport', increasing from 19 fatal crashes in 2022 to 27 in 2023. Angle collisions also saw an increase, rising from 4 fatal crashes in 2022 to 9 in 2023.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
4-door sedans were the most frequently involved vehicle body type in fatal crashes for both periods, with 14 in 2023 and 16 in 2022. Compact utility vehicles saw an increase from 6 in 2022 to 10 in 2023, while two-wheel motorcycles increased from 2 in 2022 to 5 in 2023. Fatal crashes involving large trucks decreased from 3 in 2022 to 1 in 2023.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 15 reported. 6 additional (6 total) not shown: Other or Unknown automobile type, Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR greater than 26,000 lbs.), 3-door/2-door hatchback, Three-wheel Motorcycle (2 Rear Wheels), Large Van-Includes van-based buses (B150-B350, Sportsman, Royal Maxiwagon, Ram, Tradesman,...), Light Pickup.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Roadway Functional Class
Arterial roads, combining Principal and Minor Arterials, accounted for the majority of fatal crashes in both periods, increasing from 21 in 2022 to 28 in 2023. Fatal crashes on Interstates increased from 1 in 2022 to 5 in 2023. Local and collector roads maintained a consistent count of 6 fatal crashes in both years.
Roadway Functional Class
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Roadway Ownership
City or Municipal Highway Agencies continued to own the roadways with the most fatal crashes, increasing slightly from 27 in 2022 to 28 in 2023. Fatal crashes on State Highway Agency-owned roads increased from 1 in 2022 to 6 in 2023, and 5 fatal crashes occurred on National Park Service-owned roads in 2023, a category not present in 2022 data.
Roadway Ownership
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Type
Drivers remained the dominant person type involved in fatal crashes, increasing from 39 in 2022 to 56 in 2023. The number of pedestrians involved in fatal crashes decreased from 23 in 2022 to 15 in 2023, while passengers increased from 15 in 2022 to 23 in 2023. The number of bicyclists involved remained consistent at 3 in both periods.
Person Type
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
The number of fatal injuries (K) increased from 32 in 2022 to 44 in 2023. Similarly, the total number of injured persons (A, B, C, U) increased from 19 in 2022 to 31 in 2023.
Person Injury Severity
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Occupant Safety Equipment
The number of persons reported with 'None Used/Not Applicable' safety equipment increased from 16 in 2022 to 30 in 2023. Conversely, the count of persons using 'Shoulder and Lap Belt Used' decreased from 22 in 2022 to 16 in 2023.
Occupant Safety Equipment
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Point of Impact
The '12 Clock Point' remained the most frequent point of impact in fatal crashes, increasing from 26 instances in 2022 to 31 in 2023. Other impact points like 'Undercarriage' showed a slight increase from 2 in 2022 to 3 in 2023.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 9 smaller categories (9 records): Left (1), Left-Back Side (1), Top (1), 7 Clock Point (1), 2 Clock Point (1), 3 Clock Point (1), 4 Clock Point (1), 6 Clock Point (1), 10 Clock Point (1).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Vehicles Per Crash
Single-vehicle fatal crashes increased from 16 in 2022 to 23 in 2023, making them the most common type in both periods. Two-vehicle fatal crashes also increased, rising from 9 in 2022 to 13 in 2023. The number of multi-vehicle fatal crashes involving three or more vehicles remained consistent at 3 in both years.
Vehicles Per Crash
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · 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: 2023-01-01 through 2023-12-31
- Report generated: August 5, 2026
Data Coverage
- Reporting period: 2023-01-01 through 2023-12-31 (365 days)
- Geographic scope: Washington, District of Columbia
- Total crash records analyzed: 39
- Total persons involved: 101
- Total vehicles involved: 57
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). "Washington, District of Columbia Crash Intelligence Report: 2023." Published August 5, 2026. Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31. Data source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes), NHTSA FARS Open Data. Available at: https://thatcarhitme.com/crash-data/district-of-columbia/fatal/washington/2023-annual-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: 2023-01-01 – 2023-12-31
Generated: August 5, 2026 · All rights reserved
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