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 · NEW YORK · 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/new-york/fatal/statewide/september-2023-report
Monthly Traffic Safety Analysis
96 CRASHES IN
NEW YORK
SEPTEMBER 2023
In September 2023, the state recorded 96 fatal crashes, a decrease of 9.43% compared to 106 fatal crashes in September 2022. Fatalities also decreased by 10.53%, from 114 to 102. A notable year-over-year shift was observed in fatal hit-and-run crashes, which decreased by 37.5%.
96
▼ -9.4%was 106
Total Crash Events
102
▼ -10.5%was 114
Persons Killed
106
▲ 63.1%was 65
Persons Injured
5
▼ -37.5%was 8
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (102) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (96) 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 in the state decreased year-over-year, with 96 fatal crashes reported in September 2023 compared to 106 in September 2022, representing a 9.43% reduction. The number of fatalities also saw a decline, dropping by 10.53% from 114 to 102.
5
Hit-and-Run Crashes — September 2023
▼ -37.5% vs prior (8)
Fatal hit-and-run crashes decreased from 8 in September 2022 to 5 in September 2023, representing a 37.5% reduction. The hit-and-run rate also declined from 7.5% to 5.2% of all fatal crashes year-over-year.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
22
Pedestrians Killed
8
Cyclists Killed
71
Motorists Killed
1
Other Killed
4
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
102
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 temporal distribution of fatal crashes shifted year-over-year. In September 2023, Saturday was the peak day for fatal crashes with 24 incidents, while in September 2022, Friday had the highest count with 24 fatal crashes. The peak hour for fatal crashes also changed, moving from 1 AM with 10 fatal crashes in September 2022 to 8 PM with 13 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 under clear weather conditions decreased from 73 in September 2022 to 68 in September 2023, while those in cloudy conditions decreased from 28 to 19. Conversely, fatal crashes during rainy weather increased from 5 to 9 year-over-year. Regarding lighting, fatal crashes during daylight hours decreased from 52 to 46, and those in dark-lighted conditions decreased from 31 to 26, though crashes during dusk increased from 2 to 5.
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 most frequently involved vehicle makes in fatal crashes saw some shifts. Chevrolet saw a decrease from 18 vehicles involved in fatal crashes in September 2022 to 12 in September 2023. Nissan/Datsun increased from 9 to 12, and Dodge increased from 7 to 10 vehicles.
Top Vehicle Makes (145 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Vehicle unit records
5 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (273 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 25 mph zones increased from 9 in September 2022 to 15 in September 2023. Conversely, crashes in 30 mph zones decreased from 23 to 17, and in 45 mph zones, they significantly decreased from 20 to 8. Crashes in 55 mph zones remained relatively stable, increasing slightly from 29 to 30.
Fatal crashes by zone: 5 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 25 mph: 15 of 15 (100%) · 30 mph: 17 of 17 (100%) · 35 mph: 7 of 7 (100%) · 40 mph: 6 of 6 (100%) · 45 mph: 8 of 8 (100%) · 50 mph: 5 of 5 (100%) · 55 mph: 30 of 30 (100%) · 65 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 most dominant manner of collision in fatal crashes for both periods was 'Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport,' accounting for 65 incidents in September 2023, a slight decrease from 68 in September 2022. Angle collisions decreased from 17 to 12, and front-to-front collisions decreased from 15 to 10. Front-to-rear collisions saw a small increase from 6 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
In September 2023, the most common vehicle body types involved in fatal crashes were 4-door sedans with 28, two-wheel motorcycles with 22, and light pickups with 21. Compared to the prior year, 4-door sedans saw a significant decrease from 43 to 28, while light pickups increased from 16 to 21. Fatal crashes involving two-wheel motorcycles increased slightly from 20 to 22, and large trucks (single-unit straight truck or cab-chassis with GVWR greater than 26,000 lbs.) increased from 2 to 5.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 24 reported. 15 additional (27 total) not shown: Unknown body type, 3-door/2-door hatchback, 5-door/4-door hatchback, Other vehicle type (includes go-cart, fork-lift, city street sweeper dunes/swamp buggy), School Bus, Motor Scooter, Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 10,001 to 19,500 lbs.), 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,...), Other Bus Type, Other or Unknown automobile type, Other van type (Hi-Cube Van, Kary), Convertible(excludes sun-roof,t-bar), Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 19,501 to 26,000 lbs.), Moped.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Vehicle unit records
Rural vs Urban
The distribution of fatal crashes between urban and rural areas shifted year-over-year. In September 2023, 61 fatal crashes occurred in urban areas, a decrease from 78 in September 2022. Conversely, rural areas saw an increase from 28 fatal crashes in September 2022 to 35 in September 2023. The share of fatal crashes occurring on rural roads increased from 26.42% to 36.46%.
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
In September 2023, 'Other Principal Arterial' roads accounted for the highest number of fatal crashes with 36, an increase from 33 in September 2022. Minor Arterial roads experienced a decrease from 28 to 23 fatal crashes. Major Collector roads saw a significant reduction from 17 to 8 fatal crashes, while Local roads had a slight increase from 13 to 14.
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 most fatal crashes, with 42 incidents in September 2023, though this was a decrease from 56 in the prior year. Fatal crashes on roads owned by City or Municipal Highway Agencies increased slightly from 21 to 22. County Highway Agencies also saw an increase from 17 to 20 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
Drivers remained the most frequently involved person type in fatal crashes, with 145 individuals in September 2023, a decrease from 152 in the prior year. The number of passengers involved significantly increased from 66 to 92. Pedestrian involvement decreased from 30 to 26, while bicyclist involvement slightly increased from 7 to 8.
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 decreased from 114 in September 2022 to 102 in September 2023. Conversely, serious injuries (A) more than doubled, increasing from 18 to 41, and minor injuries (B) significantly rose from 7 to 29. Possible injuries (C) decreased from 36 to 30, and those with no injuries (O) also decreased from 79 to 70.
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 use of shoulder and lap belts among participants in fatal crashes decreased slightly from 125 in September 2022 to 116 in September 2023. A significant increase was observed in participants for whom 'None Used/Not Applicable' was reported, rising from 46 to 94. The number of participants using 'Lap Belt Only Used' decreased from 11 to 3.
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 most common point of impact in fatal crashes was the '12 Clock Point' (front), with 87 instances in September 2023, a decrease from 116 in the prior year. Conversely, impacts at the '6 Clock Point' (rear) doubled from 6 to 12. Left-front side impacts also saw an increase from 3 to 10.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 6 smaller categories (11 records): 5 Clock Point (3), Left (2), Reported as Unknown (2), Right-Back Side (2), 7 Clock Point (1), 9 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 slightly from 60 in September 2022 to 57 in September 2023, though their share of total fatal crashes increased from 56.6% to 59.4%. Fatal crashes involving two vehicles decreased from 38 to 30. There were also 2 fatal crashes involving 6 vehicles in September 2023, which were not present in the prior year.
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: New York
- Total crash records analyzed: 96
- Total persons involved: 278
- Total vehicles involved: 145
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). "New York 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/new-york/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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