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 · MARYLAND · 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/maryland/fatal/statewide/september-2023-report
Monthly Traffic Safety Analysis
57 CRASHES IN
MARYLAND
SEPTEMBER 2023
In September 2023, Maryland recorded 57 fatal crashes, an increase of 46.15% compared to the 39 fatal crashes in September 2022. This period also saw a 55% rise in total fatalities, from 40 to 62. A notable shift was the substantial increase in pedestrian fatalities, which rose from 5 to 18.
57
▲ 46.2%was 39
Total Crash Events
62
▲ 55.0%was 40
Persons Killed
24
▲ 33.3%was 18
Persons Injured
6
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (62) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (57) 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
Fatal crashes in Maryland increased from 39 in September 2022 to 57 in September 2023, representing a 46.15% rise year-over-year. Concurrently, the total number of fatalities also saw a significant increase of 55%, from 40 to 62 persons killed.
6
Hit-and-Run Crashes — September 2023
▼ 0.0% vs prior (6)
The number of fatal hit-and-run crashes remained consistent at 6 in both September 2022 and September 2023. However, the rate of hit-and-run fatal crashes decreased from 15.4% in the prior period to 10.5% in the current period, reflecting an overall increase in fatal crashes.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
18
Pedestrians Killed
2
Cyclists Killed
41
Motorists Killed
1
Other Killed
2
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
22
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 from Sunday, with 14 fatal crashes in the prior period, to Friday, with 12 fatal crashes in the current period. The peak hour also changed, moving from 10 p.m. with 4 fatal crashes in September 2022 to 9 p.m. with 6 fatal crashes in September 2023.
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
Fatal crashes occurring in clear weather increased from 30 in the prior period to 37 in the current period. Similarly, crashes in cloudy conditions rose from 4 to 11, and those in rainy conditions increased from 4 to 8. For lighting, fatal crashes in daylight increased from 12 to 20, while those in dark-lighted conditions increased from 11 to 21.
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
Ford vehicles involved in fatal crashes significantly increased from 3 in the prior period to 10 in the current period. Conversely, Chevrolet's involvement decreased from 9 vehicles to 7, while Honda vehicles increased from 5 to 8.
Top Vehicle Makes (86 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 (127 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 on roads with a 40 mph speed limit increased from 5 in the prior period to 12 in the current period. Fatal crashes on roads with a 55 mph speed limit slightly decreased from 12 to 11. A new fatal crash was recorded at a 15 mph speed limit in the current period, where none were reported in the prior period.
Fatal crashes by zone: 15 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 25 mph: 3 of 3 (100%) · 30 mph: 5 of 5 (100%) · 35 mph: 6 of 6 (100%) · 40 mph: 12 of 12 (100%) · 45 mph: 4 of 4 (100%) · 50 mph: 7 of 7 (100%) · 55 mph: 11 of 11 (100%) · 60 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 65 mph: 5 of 5 (100%) · 70 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 dominant manner of collision in both periods was 'The First Harmful Event was Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport,' increasing from 27 in the prior period to 40 in the current period. Angle collisions increased from 4 to 6, and front-to-rear collisions increased from 4 to 7.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
Four-door sedans remained the most common vehicle type involved in fatal crashes, increasing from 14 in the prior period to 18 in the current period. Compact utility vehicles also saw an increase from 11 to 14, while two-wheel motorcycles maintained a count of 8 in both periods.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 15 reported. 6 additional (10 total) not shown: 2-door sedan,hardtop,coupe, Large Van-Includes van-based buses (B150-B350, Sportsman, Royal Maxiwagon, Ram, Tradesman,...), 5-door/4-door hatchback, Motor Scooter, Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR greater than 26,000 lbs.), Transit Bus (City Bus).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Vehicle unit records
Rural vs Urban
Fatal crashes in urban areas increased from 31 in the prior period to 46 in the current period. Rural areas also experienced an increase in fatal crashes, from 8 to 10. The proportion of fatal crashes in urban areas increased from 79.5% to 82.1%, indicating a slight shift towards urban environments.
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 Interstates increased from 7 in the prior period to 13 in the current period. Crashes on Minor Arterial roads also rose from 5 to 12. Major Collector roads saw a slight increase from 8 to 9 fatal crashes.
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 Agencies experienced an increase in fatal crashes on their roads, from 29 in the prior period to 37 in the current period. County Highway Agencies also saw an increase, from 8 to 15 fatal crashes. City or Municipal Highway Agencies reported 1 fatal crash in the prior period and 3 in the current period.
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 increased from 62 in the prior period to 85 in the current period. Pedestrians involved in fatal crashes saw a significant increase from 5 to 20. The number of passengers involved remained stable at 23 in both periods.
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 fatal injuries (K) increased from 40 in the prior period to 62 in the current period. Persons with no reported injury (O) increased from 38 to 45. Serious injuries (A) decreased slightly from 9 to 8, while minor injuries (B) increased from 3 to 10.
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 reported using shoulder and lap belts in fatal crashes increased from 44 in the prior period to 62 in the current period. The number of persons reported with no safety equipment used increased from 22 to 27.
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 dominant point of impact, increasing from 39 instances in the prior period to 51 in the current period. The '6 Clock Point' (rear impact) also increased from 7 to 8.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 7 smaller categories (8 records): 9 Clock Point (2), Right-Back Side (1), 2 Clock Point (1), Undercarriage (1), 5 Clock Point (1), 3 Clock Point (1), Reported as Unknown (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 significantly from 19 in the prior period to 38 in the current period. Two-vehicle fatal crashes remained constant at 14 in both periods. Multi-vehicle crashes (3 or more vehicles) decreased from 6 to 5.
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: Maryland
- Total crash records analyzed: 57
- Total persons involved: 131
- Total vehicles involved: 86
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). "Maryland 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/maryland/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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