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 · KENTUCKY · 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/kentucky/fatal/statewide/september-2023-report
Monthly Traffic Safety Analysis
71 CRASHES IN
KENTUCKY
SEPTEMBER 2023
In September 2023, there were 71 fatal crashes, resulting in 75 fatalities, compared to 75 fatal crashes and 79 fatalities in September 2022. This represents a 5.33% decrease in fatal crashes and a 5.06% decrease in fatalities year-over-year. The most notable shift was an increase in hit-and-run fatal crashes, which rose from 1 incident in the prior period to 8 in the current period.
71
▼ -5.3%was 75
Total Crash Events
75
▼ -5.1%was 79
Persons Killed
39
▲ 2.6%was 38
Persons Injured
8
▲ 700.0%was 1
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (75) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (71) 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 crashes decreased by 5.33%, from 75 in September 2022 to 71 in September 2023. Fatalities also saw a decrease of 5.06%, from 79 to 75 during the same period. Conversely, the number of injured persons in fatal crashes slightly increased by 2.63%, from 38 to 39.
8
Hit-and-Run Crashes — September 2023
▲ 700.0% vs prior (1)
Hit-and-run fatal crashes saw a substantial increase, rising from 1 incident in September 2022 to 8 incidents in September 2023. This represents a significant increase in the hit-and-run rate, from 1.3% of fatal crashes in the prior period to 11.3% in the current period.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
13
Pedestrians Killed
2
Cyclists Killed
60
Motorists Killed
0
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
39
Motorists 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 from Saturday, with 13 incidents in the prior period, to Sunday, with 17 incidents in the current period. Sunday fatal crashes more than doubled year-over-year, increasing from 8 to 17. The peak hour for fatal crashes also shifted, moving from 7 PM with 7 fatal crashes in the prior period to 3 PM with 8 fatal crashes 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, decreasing from 63 in the prior period to 59 in the current period, while cloudy conditions remained stable at 9 fatal crashes. Fatal crashes occurring in rain conditions increased from 1 to 2 year-over-year. Regarding lighting, daylight fatal crashes decreased from 44 to 35, while fatal crashes in dark-lighted conditions increased from 6 to 10.
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
The number of persons aged 16-20 involved in fatal crashes doubled, increasing from 10 in the prior period to 20 in the current period. Conversely, persons aged 55-64 involved in fatal crashes decreased from 29 to 15, and those aged 65+ decreased from 31 to 22. Among vehicle makes, Ford fatal crashes decreased from 19 to 16, while Toyota fatal crashes increased from 9 to 12.
Top Vehicle Makes (98 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Vehicle unit records
4 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (142 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
The highest number of fatal crashes in both periods occurred in the 55 mph speed zone, decreasing from 46 fatal crashes in the prior period to 42 in the current period. Fatal crashes in the 35 mph zone remained stable at 11 incidents in both periods. There was a slight decrease in fatal crashes in the 45 mph zone, from 9 to 8, and in the 65 mph zone, from 3 to 2.
Fatal crashes by zone: 15 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 25 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 30 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 35 mph: 11 of 11 (100%) · 45 mph: 8 of 8 (100%) · 55 mph: 42 of 42 (100%) · 65 mph: 2 of 2 (100%) · 70 mph: 3 of 3 (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 dominant manner of collision in both periods was "The First Harmful Event was Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport," increasing slightly from 47 fatal crashes in the prior period to 48 in the current period. Angle collisions decreased from 15 fatal crashes to 12. Front-to-front collisions increased from 5 to 8 fatal crashes, while front-to-rear collisions decreased from 3 to 1.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
Fatal crashes involving "4-door sedan, hardtop" vehicles decreased from 24 to 23, and "Light Pickup" fatal crashes decreased from 26 to 22. "Two Wheel Motorcycle" fatal crashes increased from 10 in the prior period to 12 in the current period. "Compact Utility" fatal crashes remained stable at 13 incidents in both periods.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 21 reported. 12 additional (12 total) not shown: Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 19,501 to 26,000 lbs.), Unknown body type, 2-door sedan,hardtop,coupe, Unknown (pickup style) light conventional truck type, ATV/ATC [All-Terrain Cycle], Convertible(excludes sun-roof,t-bar), Medium/heavy Pickup (GVWR greater than 10,000 lbs.), Motor Scooter, Off-road Motorcycle, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle, Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR greater than 26,000 lbs.), Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 10,001 to 19,500 lbs.).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Vehicle unit records
Rural vs Urban
Fatal crashes on rural roadways decreased from 54 in the prior period to 44 in the current period. Conversely, fatal crashes on urban roadways increased from 21 to 27. The proportion of fatal crashes occurring on rural roads decreased from approximately 72% to 62% year-over-year.
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 Minor Arterial roadways increased from 17 to 20 year-over-year. Major Collector fatal crashes saw a slight decrease from 14 to 13, while Local roadway fatal crashes increased from 8 to 12. Principal Arterial fatal crashes (combining "Principal Arterial - Other" and "Other Principal Arterial") remained stable at 18 and 13 respectively, showing a shift in specific arterial categories.
Roadway Functional Class
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Roadway Ownership
State Highway Agency-owned roadways continued to account for the majority of fatal crashes, though the number decreased from 69 to 62. Fatal crashes on County Highway Agency-owned roads increased from 4 to 6. Fatal crashes on City or Municipal Highway Agency-owned roads also saw an increase, from 2 to 3.
Roadway Ownership
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Person Type
The number of drivers involved in fatal crashes decreased from 114 to 98, and passengers decreased from 35 to 32. Pedestrian involvement in fatal crashes slightly increased from 12 to 13. Notably, bicyclists involved in fatal crashes increased from 0 in the prior period to 2 in the current period.
Person Type
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
The number of fatalities (K) decreased from 79 to 75 year-over-year. Serious injuries (A) also saw a slight decrease from 14 to 13, and possible injuries (C) decreased from 11 to 8. Minor injuries (B) in fatal crashes increased from 13 to 15.
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 Belt Used" in fatal crashes decreased from 83 to 68. Those recorded as having "None Used/Not Applicable" also decreased, from 61 to 55. This indicates a general reduction in recorded safety equipment usage among persons in fatal crashes.
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) remained the most frequent point of impact, increasing slightly from 56 fatal crashes in the prior period to 59 in the current period. Fatal crashes classified as "Non-Collision" saw a notable increase, rising from 5 to 10. The "11 Clock Point" saw a decrease in fatal crashes, from 14 to 9.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 5 smaller categories (7 records): 3 Clock Point (2), Left (2), 4 Clock Point (1), 7 Clock Point (1), 6 Clock Point (1).
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 42 in the prior period to 45 in the current period. Two-vehicle fatal crashes remained stable at 24 incidents in both periods. Fatal crashes involving three vehicles saw a significant decrease, falling from 9 to 2.
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: Kentucky
- Total crash records analyzed: 71
- Total persons involved: 145
- Total vehicles involved: 98
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). "Kentucky 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/kentucky/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
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