ThatCarHitMe.com
An Injuria.ai Company
CRASH INTELLIGENCE REPORT · EAST PALESTINE, 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/east-palestine/2021-annual-report
Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis
30 CRASHES IN
EAST PALESTINE, OH
2021
In 2021, East Palestine recorded 30 traffic crashes, resulting in 0 fatalities and 4 injuries. The majority of crashes, 90%, resulted in no injuries. Crashes peaked on Fridays and during the 9 PM hour.
30
Total Crash Events
0
Persons Killed
4
Persons Injured
6.7%
Hit-and-Run Rate
Note: "Persons Killed" (0) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (0) 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
2
Hit-and-Run Crashes — 2021
East Palestine experienced 2 hit-and-run crashes in 2021, accounting for 6.7% of all crashes. Hit-and-run status is based on the initial determination by the responding officer.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
There were no pedestrian or cyclist fatalities or injuries reported in East Palestine during 2021. All 4 injuries recorded were sustained by motorists, with no motorist fatalities.
0
Motorists Killed
4
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 East Palestine during 2021 peaked on Fridays with 7 incidents and at 9 PM with 4 incidents. Approximately half of all crashes, 15 out of 30, occurred during daylight hours, while 14 crashes occurred in 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
In East Palestine during 2021, 90% of crashes (27 out of 30) resulted in no injuries. Injury crashes accounted for 10% of the total, with 1 serious injury crash (3.3%) and 2 minor injury crashes (6.7%). There were no fatal crashes recorded in the city during this period.
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 majority of crashes in East Palestine occurred under clear weather (17 incidents) and dry road conditions (22 incidents). Over half of all crashes, 15 out of 30, happened during daylight hours, while 14 occurred in dark conditions.
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 persons involved in crashes, the 16-20 age group was the most represented with 16 individuals, followed by the 26-34 age group with 11 individuals. Chevrolet vehicles were involved in crashes most frequently (20 incidents), followed by Ford (7 incidents) and Dodge (5 incidents).
Top Vehicle Makes (52 vehicles)
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
1 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (66 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 vast majority of crashes, 27 out of 30, occurred on the roadway itself. Three crashes, representing 10% of the total, occurred off the main travel lanes, specifically on the roadside (1), on the shoulder (1), or outside the trafficway (1).
Crash Location (First Harmful Event)
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Traffic Control Device
The most frequent traffic control condition associated with crash involvement was 'No Control', accounting for 35 instances. Signalized intersections and stop signs each accounted for 8 instances of crash involvement.
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
Among contributing factors, 'Failure to Yield' was the most common, cited in 6 instances. 'Drove off Road' and 'Following too Close / ACDA' each contributed to 4 instances of crash involvement. 'Improper Turn' was noted in 3 instances.
Driver Contributing Factor
Showing top 9 of 10 reported. 1 additional (1 total) not shown: Swerving to Avoid.
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Driver Condition
Five drivers involved in crashes were noted to be 'Under the Influence of Medications / Drugs / Alcohol'. This condition accounted for 11.1% of all reported driver conditions.
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
Driver distraction was identified in 3 instances, with 'Other distraction inside the vehicle' accounting for 2 instances and 'Other activity with an electronic device' for 1 instance. These distractions represented 6.7% of the reported driver conditions.
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
Approximately 10% of crashes (3 out of 30) occurred on curves, specifically 2 on 'Curve Grade' and 1 on 'Curve Level'. Nearly half of all crashes, 14 out of 30, occurred on a grade, including both straight and curved sections.
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 reported was 'Straight Ahead' in 27 instances. 'Making Left Turn' was noted in 8 instances, while vehicles being 'Parked' or 'Slowing or Stopped In Traffic' each accounted for 5 instances.
Pre-Crash Driver Action
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Manner of Collision
The most frequent manner of collision was 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport', accounting for 10 crashes or 33.3% of the total. 'Angle' collisions were the second most common with 8 crashes (26.7%), followed by 'Rear-end' collisions with 6 crashes (20%).
Manner of Collision
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 common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 27 vehicles. Pickups were involved in 11 incidents, and Sport Utility Vehicles in 7 incidents. One bus (16+ Passengers) was also involved.
Vehicle Type
"Other" combines 1 smaller categories (1 records): Bus (16+ Passengers) (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 largest group of individuals involved in crashes, with 47 persons. Occupants accounted for 20 persons. There were no pedestrians or cyclists recorded among the persons involved.
Person Type
Source: Ohio Crash Data (ODOT TIMS) · Csv Open Data · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
Out of 66 persons for whom injury severity was recorded, 4 individuals sustained injuries. This included 1 serious injury, 2 minor injuries, and 1 possible injury. The majority, 62 persons, sustained no 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
Among the 67 persons involved, 58 individuals used shoulder and lap belts. Four persons were reported to have used no safety equipment. One person used a child restraint system and another used a shoulder belt only.
Occupant Safety Equipment
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
The majority of crashes, 20 out of 30, involved two vehicles. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 9 incidents, representing 30% of the total. One crash involved three 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 6, 2026
Data Coverage
- Reporting period: 2021-01-01 through 2021-12-31 (365 days)
- Geographic scope: East Palestine, OH
- Total crash records analyzed: 30
- Total persons involved: 67
- Total vehicles involved: 52
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). "East Palestine, OH Crash Intelligence Report: 2021." Published July 6, 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/east-palestine/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 6, 2026 · All rights reserved