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 · MONTANA · 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/montana/fatal/statewide/september-2023-report
Monthly Traffic Safety Analysis
18 CRASHES IN
MONTANA
SEPTEMBER 2023
In September 2023, Montana recorded 18 fatal crashes, a 25% decrease compared to the 24 fatal crashes reported in September 2022. This resulted in 19 fatalities, marking a significant 34.5% reduction from the 29 fatalities in the prior year. The most notable shift was the substantial decrease in overall fatalities and fatal crashes year-over-year.
18
▼ -25.0%was 24
Total Crash Events
19
▼ -34.5%was 29
Persons Killed
9
▲ 12.5%was 8
Persons Injured
18
▼ -25.0%was 24
Fatal Crash Events
Note: "Persons Killed" (19) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (18) 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
The overall trend indicates a decrease in fatal crashes and fatalities in September 2023 compared to the same month in the prior year. Fatal crashes decreased by 25%, from 24 to 18, while total fatalities saw a 34.5% reduction, falling from 29 to 19.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
2
Pedestrians Killed
1
Cyclists Killed
16
Motorists Killed
0
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
9
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 Friday, which had 8 fatal crashes in September 2022, to Wednesday, with 4 fatal crashes in September 2023. The peak hour also shifted from 6 PM in the prior period (3 fatal crashes) to 10 PM in the current period (3 fatal crashes), indicating a change in the timing of peak fatal crash occurrences.
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 decreased from 12 in September 2022 to 9 in September 2023, while those in cloudy conditions increased from 6 to 9. Fatal crashes during daylight hours saw a notable decrease from 14 in the prior period to 6 in the current period, while fatal crashes in unlighted dark conditions increased from 7 to 9.
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
Top Vehicle Makes (26 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Vehicle unit records
Sex Distribution (39 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 speed zones of 65 mph or more decreased from 13 in September 2022 to 10 in September 2023. Specifically, fatal crashes in 70 mph zones decreased from 6 to 2, while those in 65 mph zones increased from 5 to 6. The 65+ mph speed zones continue to account for a substantial portion of fatal crashes.
Fatal crashes by zone: 25 mph: 2 of 2 (100%) · 30 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 35 mph: 2 of 2 (100%) · 55 mph: 2 of 2 (100%) · 60 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 65 mph: 6 of 6 (100%) · 70 mph: 2 of 2 (100%) · 80 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 fatal collision in both periods was 'The First Harmful Event was Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport', though its count decreased from 18 in September 2022 to 10 in September 2023. Conversely, 'Angle' collisions increased from 3 fatal crashes in the prior period to 6 in the current period. 'Front-to-Front' fatal collisions decreased from 3 to 2 year-over-year.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
Light Pickups were involved in 8 fatal crashes in September 2023, an increase from 4 in the prior period, making them the most common vehicle body type. Compact Utility vehicles saw a decrease from 9 fatal crashes to 4. Two-wheel motorcycles were involved in 4 fatal crashes in both periods, indicating a consistent presence of this high-fatality category.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 11 reported. 2 additional (2 total) not shown: Truck-tractor (Cab only, or with any number of trailing unit; any weight), Large Van-Includes van-based buses (B150-B350, Sportsman, Royal Maxiwagon, Ram, Tradesman,...).
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 18 in September 2022 to 15 in September 2023, while urban fatal crashes decreased from 6 to 3. Rural areas continue to account for a disproportionately high share of fatal crashes, representing 15 out of 18 fatal crashes in the current period.
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
Roadways classified as 'Other Principal Arterial' experienced a decrease in fatal crashes from 12 in September 2022 to 7 in September 2023, but remained the most frequent location. 'Major Collector' roads saw a slight increase from 3 to 4 fatal crashes. Interstate and Local roads maintained consistent fatal crash counts of 2 in both periods.
Roadway Functional Class
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Roadway Ownership
Fatal crashes on State Highway Agency-owned roads decreased from 21 in September 2022 to 15 in September 2023, though this agency still oversees the majority of fatal crash locations. County Highway Agency roads saw a slight increase from 1 to 2 fatal crashes. City or Municipal Highway Agency roads experienced a decrease from 2 to 1 fatal crash.
Roadway Ownership
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Person Type
Drivers remained the most frequently involved person type in fatal crashes, with 26 in September 2023, down from 32 in September 2022. Passengers were involved in 10 fatal crashes in both periods, showing no change. Notably, pedestrians 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 fatal injuries (K) decreased significantly from 29 in September 2022 to 19 in September 2023. Conversely, serious injuries (A) increased from 1 to 4, and persons with no injuries (O) increased from 7 to 11. Minor injuries (B) remained constant at 5.
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 decreased from 23 in September 2022 to 16 in September 2023. Similarly, persons with 'None Used/Not Applicable' safety equipment decreased from 19 to 17. A small number of persons (3) had 'Reported as Unknown' safety equipment use in the current period.
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 center) remained the most common point of impact in fatal crashes, though its count decreased from 21 in September 2022 to 14 in September 2023. 'Non-Collision' impacts also decreased from 4 to 3. Other impact points varied with smaller counts.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 3 smaller categories (3 records): 3 Clock Point (1), 1 Clock Point (1), 2 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 15 in September 2022 to 10 in September 2023. Two-vehicle fatal crashes remained stable at 8 in both periods. There was a fatal crash involving 4 vehicles in the prior period that did not recur in the current period.
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: Montana
- Total crash records analyzed: 18
- Total persons involved: 39
- Total vehicles involved: 26
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). "Montana 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/montana/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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