I-79: fatal crashes in every state
From 2015 to 2024, 165 fatal crashes on I-79 killed 184 people across the 2 states it runs through, the 49th most of 69 interstates. In 2024 there were 11 fatal crashes and 12 deaths on the road.
340 miles in all; 4.9 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles. All interstates ranked.
I-79 by state: fatal crashes, deaths and per mile
West Virginia has the most fatal crashes on I-79, 92 from 2015 to 2024. Each state's stretch is counted within that state; the per-mile figure needs 20 miles or more of road.
| State | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2024 | Miles | Per 100 miles a year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-79 in West Virginia | 92 | 106 | 5 | 161 | 5.7 |
| 2 | I-79 in Pennsylvania | 73 | 78 | 6 | 179 | 4.1 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Download every interstate in every state it crosses as CSV. Free to reuse with credit: “Fatal Crash Data, fatalcrashdata.com/deadliest-roads/i-79/, from NHTSA FARS (2024 Annual Report File).”
Mileage from the FHWA Interstate route log (table 1), the only figure here not counted from FARS.
Deaths on I-79 by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11 | 12 |
| 2023 | 7 | 8 |
| 2022 | 15 | 18 |
| 2021 | 21 | 23 |
| 2020 | 11 | 11 |
| 2019 | 17 | 18 |
| 2018 | 21 | 25 |
| 2017 | 25 | 27 |
| 2016 | 23 | 28 |
| 2015 | 14 | 14 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen on I-79
165 fatal crashes on I-79 from 2015 to 2024 have a known time, too few for any one weekday and time of day to stand out. The worst hour is midnight to 1 am; the worst month is April.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 4.2 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.2 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Tue | 1.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.8 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.2 percent, 7 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 3.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.2 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 3.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 3.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan6.7%
- Feb6.7%
- Mar3.6%
- Apr12.1%
- May8.5%
- Jun9.1%
- Jul10.9%
- Aug10.3%
- Sep7.3%
- Oct6.1%
- Nov11.5%
- Dec7.3%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What fatal crashes on I-79 first hit
The first harmful event was a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 37%; a collision with another vehicle in 35%, a rollover in 18%, a pedestrian in 4.2%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 61 | 37% |
| Collision with another vehicle | 58 | 35% |
| Rollover | 29 | 18% |
| Other | 9 | 5.5% |
| Pedestrian | 7 | 4.2% |
| Parked vehicle | 1 | 0.6% |
| Cyclist | 0 | 0.0% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes on I-79 compare with the United States
A drinking driver was recorded in 15% of fatal crashes on I-79 from 2015 to 2024, below the US share of 26%; speeding in 26%, about the US share; a hit-and-run in 0.6%, below the US share of 6.5%; a driver recorded as distracted in 4.2%, below the US share of 8.7%; 55% of passenger-vehicle occupants killed with belt use known were unbelted, about the US share. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all US roads.
| I-79 | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 62% | 43% | above the US share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 34% | 28% | about the same as the US share |
| A drinking driver | 15% | 26% | below the US share |
| Speeding | 26% | 27% | about the same as the US share |
| A distracted driver | 4.2% | 8.7% | below the US share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 55% | 49% | about the same as the US share |
| Hit-and-run | 0.6% | 6.5% | below the US share |
| A motorcycle involved | 7.3% | 16% | below the US share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 3.8% | 17% | below the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes on I-79
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-79?
- 165 fatal crashes killed 184 people on I-79 from 2015 to 2024, across the 2 states it runs through. In 2024 there were 11 fatal crashes and 12 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Which state has the most fatal crashes on I-79?
- West Virginia, with 92 fatal crashes and 106 deaths from 2015 to 2024; Pennsylvania is second with 73. Per mile, West Virginia's stretch has 5.7 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles.
- How dangerous is I-79 per mile?
- 4.9 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 340 miles of road. That is crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle: FARS records crashes, not traffic. By fatal crashes, I-79 ranks 49th of 69 interstates on this site.
Other interstates
- I-10 3,274
- I-95 2,778
- I-40 2,208
- I-75 2,062
- I-20 1,789
- I-80 1,774
- I-5 1,745
- I-70 1,354
- I-35 1,241
- I-15 1,188
- I-90 996
- I-85 922
The deadliest roads in America, every interstate ranked.
Where the I-79 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-79, in every state, with ramps, frontage and service roads left out. Where two routes share a road, NHTSA files each crash under one of them, so a shared stretch counts on one route only. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. The full method.