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 · MINNESOTA · 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/minnesota/fatal/statewide/september-2023-report
Monthly Traffic Safety Analysis
38 CRASHES IN
MINNESOTA
SEPTEMBER 2023
Fatal crashes in Minnesota decreased by 24%, from 50 in September 2022 to 38 in September 2023. Fatalities also saw a decline, dropping by 17% from 53 to 44 during the same period. The most notable year-over-year shift was a significant decrease in fatal motorcycle crashes, from 14 to 5.
38
▼ -24.0%was 50
Total Crash Events
44
▼ -17.0%was 53
Persons Killed
24
▼ -17.2%was 29
Persons Injured
2
▲ 100.0%was 1
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (44) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (38) 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 September 2023 decreased by 24%, from 50 fatal crashes in September 2022 to 38 fatal crashes. Fatalities also saw a decline, dropping by 17% from 53 to 44 during the same period. This indicates a positive downward trend in fatal crash incidents year-over-year.
2
Hit-and-Run Crashes — September 2023
▲ 100.0% vs prior (1)
Fatal hit-and-run crashes increased from 1 incident in September 2022 to 2 incidents in September 2023. Consequently, the hit-and-run rate among all fatal crashes rose from 2% to 5.3% year-over-year. This indicates an upward trend in the proportion of fatal crashes involving a hit-and-run.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
6
Pedestrians Killed
3
Cyclists Killed
35
Motorists Killed
2
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
22
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
In September 2023, Friday was the peak day for fatal crashes with 10 incidents, while in September 2022, both Monday and Saturday recorded the highest number of fatal crashes with 12 each. The peak hour for fatal crashes shifted from 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. in the prior period (6 fatal crashes each) to 6 p.m. in the current period (5 fatal crashes). Overall, the peak day and hour saw fewer fatal crashes year-over-year.
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 conditions decreased from 38 in September 2022 to 30 in September 2023. Cloudy weather fatal crashes saw a slight increase from 6 to 7, while 5 fatal crashes occurred in rain in the prior period, with none reported in the current period. In terms of lighting, daylight fatal crashes decreased from 33 to 19, and fatal crashes in dark conditions (lighted or not lighted) also decreased from 14 to 12. Road surface conditions data is not available for comparison.
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 total number of vehicles involved in fatal crashes decreased from 78 in September 2022 to 55 in September 2023. Chevrolet remained the top make involved in fatal crashes with 10 vehicles in both periods. Honda and Toyota saw increases in involvement, with Honda remaining at 6 and Toyota increasing from 1 to 6, while Harley-Davidson saw a notable decrease from 9 to 2 vehicles.
Top Vehicle Makes (55 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 (96 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 in the 55 mph speed zone remained relatively stable, decreasing slightly from 16 in September 2022 to 15 in September 2023. However, fatal crashes in the 60 mph zone significantly decreased from 12 to 6, while those in the 65 mph zone doubled from 2 to 4. Overall, the number of fatal crashes occurring in speed zones of 55 mph or higher decreased from 32 to 27.
Fatal crashes by zone: 20 mph: 2 of 2 (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: 1 of 1 (100%) · 55 mph: 15 of 15 (100%) · 60 mph: 6 of 6 (100%) · 65 mph: 4 of 4 (100%) · 70 mph: 2 of 2 (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,' decreasing from 26 fatal crashes in the prior period to 23 in the current period. Angle collisions also saw a slight decrease from 11 to 10 fatal crashes. Front-to-Front collisions decreased from 5 to 4, and Front-to-Rear collisions decreased from 6 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
The most common vehicle body type in fatal crashes in September 2023 was 'Compact Utility' with 13 vehicles, an increase from 9 in the prior period. '4-door sedan' involvement decreased significantly from 20 to 10 vehicles, while 'Two Wheel Motorcycle' fatal crashes also saw a substantial decline from 14 to 6. 'Truck-tractor' involvement increased from 4 to 6 vehicles.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 15 reported. 6 additional (6 total) not shown: ATV/ATC [All-Terrain Cycle], Convertible(excludes sun-roof,t-bar), Large Van-Includes van-based buses (B150-B350, Sportsman, Royal Maxiwagon, Ram, Tradesman,...), Medium/heavy Pickup (GVWR greater than 10,000 lbs.), Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR greater than 26,000 lbs.), 2-door sedan,hardtop,coupe.
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 rural areas decreased from 29 in September 2022 to 26 in September 2023, while urban fatal crashes decreased from 21 to 12. Despite the decrease in absolute numbers, the proportion of fatal crashes occurring in rural areas increased from 58% to 68.4% year-over-year. This indicates that rural roads continue to carry a disproportionately high share of fatal incidents.
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
Minor Arterial roadways experienced the highest number of fatal crashes in both periods, though decreasing from 17 in September 2022 to 12 in September 2023. Fatal crashes on Local roads increased from 3 to 6, while Interstate fatal crashes decreased from 4 to 3. Major Collector fatal crashes increased from 6 to 7.
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 continued to oversee the highest number of fatal crashes, though the count decreased from 27 in September 2022 to 17 in September 2023. Fatal crashes on roads owned by County Highway Agencies also decreased from 18 to 16. City or Municipal Highway Agencies saw a slight decrease from 4 to 3 fatal crashes.
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 78 in September 2022 to 55 in September 2023. Passenger involvement also slightly decreased from 29 to 28. Notably, pedestrian involvement in fatal crashes increased from 5 to 8, and bicyclist involvement increased from 1 to 3.
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 persons sustaining fatal injuries (K) decreased from 53 in September 2022 to 44 in September 2023. Serious injuries (A) also decreased from 13 to 9, and minor injuries (B) decreased from 13 to 11. The number of possible injuries (C) remained constant at 3.
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 recorded using 'Shoulder and Lap Belt Used' increased from 50 in September 2022 to 52 in September 2023. Conversely, the number of persons for whom 'None Used/Not Applicable' was reported decreased significantly from 32 to 16. This suggests a notable decrease in non-restraint use among those involved 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 impact) remained the most frequent point of impact in fatal crashes, decreasing from 45 incidents in September 2022 to 34 in September 2023. 'Non-Collision' incidents also decreased from 6 to 3. Other specific points of impact, such as '6 Clock Point' and '10 Clock Point', which each had 6 incidents in the prior period, were less frequent or absent in the current period.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 6 smaller categories (7 records): 10 Clock Point (2), 1 Clock Point (1), 2 Clock Point (1), 5 Clock Point (1), 6 Clock Point (1), 11 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 decreased from 26 in September 2022 to 22 in September 2023. Two-vehicle fatal crashes also saw a reduction, from 19 to 15. Fatal crashes involving three vehicles decreased from 5 to 1.
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: Minnesota
- Total crash records analyzed: 38
- Total persons involved: 98
- Total vehicles involved: 55
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). "Minnesota 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/minnesota/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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