ThatCarHitMe.com
An Injuria.ai Company
CRASH INTELLIGENCE REPORT · DEFIANCE, OH · 2021
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/ohio/defiance/2021-annual-report
Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis
508 CRASHES IN
DEFIANCE, OH
2021
In 2021, Defiance, Ohio, recorded a total of 508 crashes, resulting in 1 fatality and 117 injuries. A significant portion of these incidents, 82.1%, did not involve any injuries. The most frequent contributing factor identified was 'Following too Close / ACDA', accounting for 136 instances.
508
Total Crash Events
1
Persons Killed
117
Persons Injured
12.2%
Hit-and-Run Rate
Note: "Persons Killed" (1) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (1) counts crash events where at least one fatality occurred. A single crash can result in multiple fatalities.
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Aggregate counts from crash, person, and vehicle records
62
Hit-and-Run Crashes — 2021
Defiance experienced 62 hit-and-run crashes in 2021, representing 12.2% of all reported incidents. It is important to note that hit-and-run status is based on the responding officer's initial determination.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
In 2021, motorists were the most impacted group, with 1 motorist killed and 117 motorists injured. There were no pedestrians or cyclists killed or injured in crashes during this period.
1
Motorists Killed
117
Motorists Injured
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Mode classified from person records (driver/passenger → motorist; pedestrian; bicyclist → cyclist; in-line skater / unspecified → other)
When Crashes Happen
Crashes in Defiance peaked on Fridays, with 96 incidents recorded, and the peak hour for crashes was 3 PM, with 54 occurrences. Approximately 69.5% of crashes occurred during daylight or dawn/dusk conditions, while 30.1% occurred during dark conditions.
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash date field aggregated by weekday
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash time field aggregated by hour (0-23)
Crash Severity Breakdown
The majority of crashes in Defiance, 82.1%, resulted in no injuries, while 17.7% involved some level of injury. There was 1 fatal crash recorded, which resulted in 1 fatality. It is important to note that one crash event can involve multiple fatalities.
Outcome by Severity (Crash Events)
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · KABCO injury classification scale
Severity Distribution (Crash Events)
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Most severe injury per crash record
Road & Environmental Conditions
The predominant conditions for crashes in Defiance were clear weather (65.2%), dry road surfaces (76.4%), and daylight (67.1%). Adverse conditions such as rain, snow, or fog were present in 13.2% of crashes, and wet, icy, or snowy road surfaces were reported in 23.0% of incidents.
Weather
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Weather condition at time of crash
Lighting
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Lighting condition field
Road Surface
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Road surface condition field
Vehicles & Demographics
Among the persons involved in crashes, the age groups 0-15 and 65+ were most represented, each accounting for 170 individuals. Chevrolet vehicles were most frequently involved, with 238 instances, followed by Ford (113) and Dodge (71) vehicles.
Top Vehicle Makes (872 vehicles)
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
28 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (1,129 persons with recorded sex)
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Crash Location (First Harmful Event)
The majority of crashes, 442, occurred on the roadway. A total of 61 crashes, or 12.0% of all incidents, occurred off the travel lanes, specifically on the roadside, shoulder, in the median, or outside the trafficway.
Crash Location (First Harmful Event)
"Other" combines 1 smaller categories (1 records): Railway grade crossing (1).
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Traffic Control Device
At crash locations, 'No Control' was the dominant traffic control condition, accounting for 485 instances. Among all reported traffic control instances, 35.7% were at signalized locations, while 64.3% were at uncontrolled locations (no control, stop sign, or roundabout).
Traffic Control Device
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Driver Contributing Factor
The leading contributing factors identified were 'Following too Close / ACDA' (136 instances), 'Failure to Yield' (62 instances), and 'Drove off Road' (39 instances). These three factors collectively accounted for 63.3% of all specific contributing factors reported.
Driver Contributing Factor
Showing top 9 of 20 reported. 11 additional (48 total) not shown: Improper Passing, Left of Center, Ran Stop Sign, Load shifting/Falling/Spilling, Operating Defective Equipment, Unsafe Speed, Stopped or Parked Illegally, Swerving to Avoid, Improper Crossing, Vision Obstruction, Improper Start From a Parked Position.
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Commercial / Truck Involvement
A total of 36 crashes involved commercial vehicles, representing 7.1% of all crashes. Of these, 24 involved semi-tractor trailers and 12 involved other commercial vehicles.
Vulnerable Road Users & Motorcycles
Five crashes involved vulnerable road users (bicyclists), representing 1.0% of all crashes. There were 5 bicyclists involved and no pedestrians involved in crashes.
Animal-Involved Crashes
Animal-strike crashes accounted for 89 incidents, or 17.5% of all crashes. The vast majority of these, 84, involved deer, while 5 involved other animals.
Impairment (Alcohol / Drugs)
A total of 25 instances of impairment were reported in crashes, representing 4.9% of all crashes. Alcohol was a factor in 18 instances, drugs in 2, and both alcohol and drugs in 5 instances.
Driver Condition
Among drivers, 20 were reported to be under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol. Additionally, 9 drivers fell asleep, fainted, or were fatigued, and 5 were emotional. These abnormal conditions collectively accounted for 40 instances among drivers.
Driver Condition
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Driver Distraction
A total of 50 drivers were reported to be distracted at the time of their crashes. The most common distractions included other distractions inside the vehicle (21 instances) and other distractions outside the vehicle (14 instances).
Driver Distraction
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Road Alignment
The majority of crashes, 442, occurred on straight, level roads. Crashes occurring on curves accounted for 25 incidents, or 4.9% of all crashes, while those on grades (straight or curved) totaled 53 incidents, or 10.4% of all crashes.
Road Alignment
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Pre-Crash Driver Action
The most common pre-crash action for drivers was 'Straight Ahead', accounting for 476 instances. 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic' was the next most frequent action with 131 instances, followed by 'Making Left Turn' with 69 instances.
Pre-Crash Driver Action
Showing top 9 of 14 reported. 5 additional (26 total) not shown: Entering Traffic Lane, Leaving Traffic Lane, Overtaking/Passing, Driverless, Other Non-Motorist.
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Manner of Collision
The dominant manner of collision was 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport', accounting for 37% of all crashes. Rear-end collisions were the second most frequent, making up 22% of incidents, followed by angle collisions at 18.5%.
Manner of Collision
"Other" combines 2 smaller categories (5 records): Sideswipe; opposite direction (4), Rear-to-rear (1).
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
Passenger cars were the most frequently involved vehicle type, accounting for 424 vehicles. Commercial vehicles, including semi-tractors, single unit trucks, cargo vans, and buses, collectively accounted for 56 vehicles, or 6.4% of all vehicles involved.
Vehicle Type
"Other" combines 9 smaller categories (41 records): Other Vehicle (10), Van (9-15 Seats) (6), Cargo Van (6), Motorcycle 2 Wheeled (5), Bicycle (5), Bus (16+ Passengers) (4), Motorhome (2), Heavy Equipment (2), Motorcycle 3 Wheeled (1).
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Person Type
Drivers represented the dominant role among all persons involved in crashes, accounting for 810 individuals. Occupants (passengers) constituted 348 individuals, while bicyclists accounted for 5 individuals.
Person Type
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
Among all persons involved, 1 individual sustained fatal injuries and 117 individuals sustained various levels of injury. This means 0.1% of persons sustained fatal injuries and 10.1% sustained non-fatal injuries.
Person Injury Severity
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Occupant Safety Equipment
Safety equipment usage data indicates that 929 individuals used shoulder and lap belts. However, 77 individuals were reported to have used no safety equipment at all, representing 7.0% of those for whom safety equipment use was specified.
Occupant Safety Equipment
"Other" combines 2 smaller categories (13 records): Booster Seat (11), Helmet Used (2).
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Vehicles Per Crash
Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 169 incidents, representing 33.3% of all crashes. Additionally, 21 crashes involved three or more vehicles.
Vehicles Per Crash
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Data Sources & Methodology
Primary Data Source
All crash data in this report is sourced from Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS), accessed programmatically via the Csv 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: Csv 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: 2021-01-01 through 2021-12-31
- Report generated: July 5, 2026
Data Coverage
- Reporting period: 2021-01-01 through 2021-12-31 (365 days)
- Geographic scope: Defiance, OH
- Total crash records analyzed: 508
- Total persons involved: 1,158
- Total vehicles involved: 872
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). "Defiance, OH Crash Intelligence Report: 2021." Published July 5, 2026. Reporting period: 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31. Data source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS), Csv Open Data. Available at: https://thatcarhitme.com/crash-data/ohio/defiance/2021-annual-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: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv
Period: 2021-01-01 – 2021-12-31
Generated: July 5, 2026 · All rights reserved