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 · INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA · 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/indiana/fatal/indianapolis/2023-annual-report
Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis
114 CRASHES IN
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
2023
Indianapolis experienced a decrease in fatal crash incidents and associated fatalities between 2022 and 2023. The city recorded 114 fatal crashes and 120 fatalities in 2023, down from 132 fatal crashes and 136 fatalities in 2022. This represents a 13.6% reduction in fatal crashes and an 11.8% decrease in fatalities year-over-year.
114
▼ -13.6%was 132
Total Crash Events
120
▼ -11.8%was 136
Persons Killed
71
▼ -33.6%was 107
Persons Injured
15
▼ -31.8%was 22
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (120) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (114) 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
Fatal crashes decreased from 132 in 2022 to 114 in 2023, representing a 13.6% reduction. Concurrently, the number of fatalities also saw a decline, dropping by 11.8% from 136 in 2022 to 120 in 2023.
15
Hit-and-Run Crashes — 2023
▼ -31.8% vs prior (22)
The number of fatal hit-and-run crashes decreased from 22 in 2022 to 15 in 2023. This represents a decline in the hit-and-run rate from 16.7% of fatal crashes in 2022 to 13.2% in 2023.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
31
Pedestrians Killed
6
Cyclists Killed
81
Motorists Killed
2
Other Killed
0
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
71
Motorists Injured
0
Other 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
In 2023, the peak day for fatal crashes shifted to Sunday with 25 incidents, whereas Saturday was the peak day in 2022, also with 25 fatal crashes. The peak hour for fatal crashes moved from 8 PM in 2022 (10 fatal crashes) to 7 PM in 2023 (11 fatal crashes).
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
Fatal crashes occurring in clear weather decreased from 89 in 2022 to 69 in 2023, while those in rainy conditions increased from 14 to 19. Fatal crashes during daylight hours decreased from 52 in 2022 to 44 in 2023, and those in dark but lighted conditions also saw a reduction from 59 to 41.
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
The top vehicle make involved in fatal crashes shifted from Ford (33) in 2022 to Chevrolet (23) in 2023. Ford vehicles saw a notable decrease in involvement, dropping from 33 in 2022 to 19 in 2023, while Dodge involvement also decreased from 21 to 15 fatal crashes.
Top Vehicle Makes (175 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
15 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (254 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 40 mph speed zones decreased from 41 in 2022 to 26 in 2023, marking a significant reduction. Conversely, fatal crashes in 35 mph speed zones increased from 27 to 32, and those in 55 mph zones saw a decrease from 25 to 8.
Fatal crashes by zone: 5 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 25 mph: 3 of 3 (100%) · 30 mph: 10 of 10 (100%) · 35 mph: 32 of 32 (100%) · 40 mph: 26 of 26 (100%) · 45 mph: 23 of 23 (100%) · 50 mph: 2 of 2 (100%) · 55 mph: 8 of 8 (100%) · 65 mph: 3 of 3 (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,' decreasing slightly from 73 in 2022 to 69 in 2023. Angle collisions decreased from 31 to 27, and Front-to-Rear collisions saw a reduction from 15 to 7. Front-to-Front collisions remained constant at 10 fatal crashes in both years.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
The '4-door sedan, hardtop' remained the most common vehicle body type in fatal crashes, though its count decreased from 84 in 2022 to 52 in 2023. Two-wheel motorcycles involved in fatal crashes increased from 16 in 2022 to 18 in 2023. Large trucks (Truck-tractor and Single-unit straight trucks) decreased from a combined 15 in 2022 to 13 in 2023.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 21 reported. 12 additional (26 total) not shown: Convertible(excludes sun-roof,t-bar), Minivan (Chrysler Town and Country, Caravan, Grand Caravan, Voyager, Voyager, Honda-Odyssey, ...), Large Van-Includes van-based buses (B150-B350, Sportsman, Royal Maxiwagon, Ram, Tradesman,...), Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR greater than 26,000 lbs.), 5-door/4-door hatchback, Unenclosed Three Wheel Motorcycle / Unenclosed Autocycle (1 Rear Wheel), Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 10,001 to 19,500 lbs.), Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 19,501 to 26,000 lbs.), Auto-based pickup (includes E1 Camino, Caballero, Ranchero, SSR, G8-ST, Subaru Brat, Rabbit Pickup), Medium/heavy Pickup (GVWR greater than 10,000 lbs.), Motor Scooter, 3-door/2-door hatchback.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Rural vs Urban
The majority of fatal crashes in both periods occurred on urban trafficways, decreasing from 128 in 2022 to 110 in 2023. Fatal crashes on rural trafficways saw a slight increase from 3 in 2022 to 4 in 2023. Rural roads continue to represent a small but present portion of these fatal incidents.
Rural vs Urban
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Roadway Functional Class
Principal Arterial roads accounted for the highest number of fatal crashes in both years, decreasing from 51 in 2022 to 41 in 2023. Fatal crashes on Minor Arterial roads increased from 31 to 35, while Interstate fatal crashes decreased from 26 to 15. The mix of fatal crashes shifted, with a notable decrease on Interstates and Principal Arterials.
Roadway Functional Class
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Roadway Ownership
Roads owned by the 'City or Municipal Highway Agency' consistently accounted for the highest number of fatal crashes, decreasing from 94 in 2022 to 90 in 2023. Fatal crashes on roads owned by the 'State Highway Agency' also decreased, from 37 in 2022 to 24 in 2023. This indicates a general reduction in fatal crashes across both municipal and state-owned roadways.
Roadway Ownership
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Type
The number of drivers involved in fatal crashes decreased from 226 in 2022 to 174 in 2023. Passengers involved in fatal crashes also saw a reduction, from 88 to 49. Pedestrian fatalities decreased from 38 to 31, while bicyclist fatalities increased from 4 to 6.
Person Type
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
Fatal injuries decreased from 136 in 2022 to 120 in 2023. Serious injuries (severity A) saw a significant reduction from 82 in 2022 to 29 in 2023. Minor injuries (severity B) increased from 19 to 31 between the two periods.
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 using 'Shoulder and Lap Belt' in fatal crashes decreased from 113 in 2022 to 95 in 2023. Concurrently, the count of persons recorded as having 'None Used/Not Applicable' safety equipment also decreased from 79 to 64.
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' (front) remained the most frequent area of impact in fatal crashes, decreasing from 119 in 2022 to 109 in 2023. Impacts at the '6 Clock Point' (rear) also decreased, from 26 to 12.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 8 smaller categories (18 records): 3 Clock Point (5), 2 Clock Point (4), 7 Clock Point (3), Undercarriage (2), Cargo/Vehicle Parts Set-In-Motion (1), Left (1), 4 Clock Point (1), Reported as Unknown (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 decreased from 65 in 2022 to 61 in 2023. Two-vehicle fatal crashes decreased from 49 to 44. Three-vehicle fatal crashes also saw a reduction, from 11 in 2022 to 6 in 2023.
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: Indianapolis, Indiana
- Total crash records analyzed: 114
- Total persons involved: 264
- Total vehicles involved: 175
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). "Indianapolis, Indiana 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/indiana/fatal/indianapolis/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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