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.
If someone you love is part of this data, call us.
We'll connect you with a vetted Oregon attorney who handles fatal-crash and wrongful death cases and will evaluate whether you have a case.
ThatCarHitMe.com
An Injuria.ai Company
YEAR-OVER-YEAR CRASH REPORT · PORTLAND, OREGON · 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/oregon/fatal/portland/2023-annual-report
Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis
64 CRASHES IN
PORTLAND, OREGON
2023
Fatal crashes in Portland increased from 62 in the prior year to 64 in the current year, representing a 3.23% rise. Fatalities also increased by 11.29%, from 62 to 69. A notable shift was the 41.2% decrease in fatal hit-and-run crashes, falling from 17 to 10.
64
▲ 3.2%was 62
Total Crash Events
69
▲ 11.3%was 62
Persons Killed
44
▲ 37.5%was 32
Persons Injured
10
▼ -41.2%was 17
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (69) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (64) 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 · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Aggregate counts from crash, person, and vehicle records
Trend Summary
Fatal crashes increased by 3.23%, from 62 in the prior year to 64 in the current year. The number of fatalities also rose, from 62 to 69, marking an 11.29% increase. Injuries saw a substantial increase of 37.5%, from 32 to 44.
10
Hit-and-Run Crashes — 2023
▼ -41.2% vs prior (17)
Fatal hit-and-run crashes decreased by 41.2%, from 17 in the prior year to 10 in the current year. The rate of fatal hit-and-run crashes relative to all fatal crashes also saw a reduction, moving from 27.4% to 15.6%. This indicates a positive trend in reducing the proportion of fatal crashes involving hit-and-run incidents.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
23
Pedestrians Killed
2
Cyclists Killed
43
Motorists Killed
1
Other Killed
0
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
44
Motorists Injured
0
Other Injured
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · 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 Monday (12 fatal crashes) in the prior year to Sunday and Saturday (12 fatal crashes each) in the current year. Fatal crashes on Sundays doubled from 6 to 12, while Wednesday fatal crashes decreased from 11 to 4. The peak hour for fatal crashes shifted from 6 PM (6 fatal crashes) in the prior year to 5 PM (7 fatal crashes) in the current year.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash date field aggregated by weekday
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash time field aggregated by hour (0-23)
Road & Environmental Conditions
Fatal crashes occurring in clear weather conditions increased from 26 to 40, while those in cloudy conditions decreased from 23 to 14. Fatal crashes in dark but lighted conditions rose from 30 to 38. Conversely, fatal crashes in dark and unlighted conditions decreased from 8 to 3.
Weather
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Weather condition at time of crash
Lighting
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Lighting condition field
Vehicles & Demographics
The total number of vehicles involved in fatal crashes increased from 87 to 96. Honda became the most frequently involved make, with 12 vehicles in current fatal crashes compared to 10 prior, while Toyota involvement decreased from 18 to 10. Ford involvement also decreased from 14 to 6, while Chevrolet increased from 7 to 9.
Top Vehicle Makes (96 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
9 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (152 persons with recorded sex)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Speed Limit Zones
Fatal crashes in 30 mph zones remained the most common, decreasing slightly from 19 to 18. Fatal crashes in 25 mph zones decreased from 6 to 4, and 40 mph zones also saw a decrease from 6 to 4. Conversely, fatal crashes in 45 mph zones increased from 1 to 3.
Fatal crashes by zone: 20 mph: 4 of 4 (100%) · 25 mph: 4 of 4 (100%) · 30 mph: 18 of 18 (100%) · 35 mph: 6 of 6 (100%) · 40 mph: 4 of 4 (100%) · 45 mph: 3 of 3 (100%) · 50 mph: 2 of 2 (100%) · 55 mph: 1 of 1 (100%)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Posted speed limit at crash location
Manner of Collision
The First Harmful Event was Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport remained the most frequent manner of collision, with 41 fatal crashes in both periods. Angle collisions increased from 9 fatal crashes in the prior year to 16 in the current year. Front-to-Rear collisions also increased, from 2 to 4 fatal crashes.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
4-door sedans involved in fatal crashes increased from 24 in the prior year to 26 in the current year. Compact Utility vehicles involved in fatal crashes also rose from 12 to 16. Two Wheel Motorcycles maintained a consistent involvement of 10 fatal crashes in both periods.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 17 reported. 8 additional (13 total) not shown: Other or Unknown automobile type, Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 19,501 to 26,000 lbs.), Transit Bus (City Bus), 3-door/2-door hatchback, 5-door/4-door hatchback, Unknown motored cycle type, Minivan (Chrysler Town and Country, Caravan, Grand Caravan, Voyager, Voyager, Honda-Odyssey, ...), Truck-tractor (Cab only, or with any number of trailing unit; any weight).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Roadway Functional Class
Other Principal Arterial (or Principal Arterial - Other) roads continued to have the highest number of fatal crashes, with 27 in the current period compared to 28 in the prior period. Fatal crashes on Minor Arterial roads increased from 15 to 21. Fatal crashes on Major Collector roads decreased from 14 to 7.
Roadway Functional Class
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Roadway Ownership
City or Municipal Highway Agencies continued to own the roadways with the most fatal crashes, decreasing slightly from 43 in the prior year to 42 in the current year. Fatal crashes on State Highway Agency-owned roads increased from 19 to 22.
Roadway Ownership
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Type
The number of drivers involved in fatal crashes increased from 87 to 96. Pedestrians involved in fatal crashes decreased from 27 to 23. Passengers involved in fatal crashes increased from 30 to 37.
Person Type
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
Fatalities (K) increased from 62 in the prior year to 69 in the current year. The number of persons with no reported injury (O) decreased from 57 to 46. Serious injuries (A) remained constant at 12, while minor injuries (B) more than doubled from 10 to 21.
Person Injury Severity
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Occupant Safety Equipment
The number of persons using shoulder and lap belts in fatal crashes increased from 39 to 46. Conversely, the number of persons reported as using no safety equipment significantly increased from 20 to 35. This suggests a notable rise in unrestrained individuals in fatal crashes.
Occupant Safety Equipment
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Point of Impact
The 12 Clock Point (front) remained the most common point of impact, though its count decreased from 45 in the prior year to 38 in the current year. The 6 Clock Point (rear) impacts increased from 2 to 6. Right impacts remained constant at 6.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 7 smaller categories (11 records): 1 Clock Point (2), Left (2), Left-Front Side (2), Right-Back Side (2), 5 Clock Point (1), Right-Front Side (1), 7 Clock Point (1).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Vehicles Per Crash
The number of single-vehicle fatal crashes remained constant at 37 in both periods. Two-vehicle fatal crashes increased slightly from 20 to 21. The current period saw 2 fatal crashes involving 4 vehicles and 2 involving 5 vehicles, which were not observed in the prior period.
Vehicles Per Crash
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · 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: 2023-01-01 through 2023-12-31
- Report generated: August 5, 2026
Data Coverage
- Reporting period: 2023-01-01 through 2023-12-31 (365 days)
- Geographic scope: Portland, Oregon
- Total crash records analyzed: 64
- Total persons involved: 159
- Total vehicles involved: 96
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). "Portland, Oregon Crash Intelligence Report: 2023." Published August 5, 2026. Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31. Data source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes), NHTSA FARS Open Data. Available at: https://thatcarhitme.com/crash-data/oregon/fatal/portland/2023-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: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · NHTSA FARS
Period: 2023-01-01 – 2023-12-31
Generated: August 5, 2026 · All rights reserved
Someone you love in this data? We’ll help you find out if you have a case.
Call our intake team. We connect you to an vetted Oregon attorney who handles fatal-crash and wrongful death cases, and who will treat your family’s situation with care.
Always free for accident victims.