I-70 in Illinois: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 70 fatal crashes on I-70 in Illinois killed 78 people, the 20th most of any numbered road in Illinois. In 2024 there were 8 fatal crashes and 8 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 7 counties of Illinois. All fatal crashes in Illinois.
Deaths on I-70 in Illinois by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 5 | 6 |
| 2016 | 7 | 7 |
| 2017 | 5 | 6 |
| 2018 | 8 | 9 |
| 2019 | 9 | 11 |
| 2020 | 4 | 4 |
| 2021 | 9 | 12 |
| 2022 | 6 | 6 |
| 2023 | 9 | 9 |
| 2024 | 8 | 8 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-70 in Illinois: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Effingham County had the most fatal crashes on I-70 from 2015 to 2024: 17, with 20 deaths. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Effingham | 0 | 17 | 20 |
| 2 | Fayette | 0 | 13 | 15 |
| 3 | Clark | 2 | 11 | 12 |
| 4 | Madison | 2 | 11 | 11 |
| 5 | Bond | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| 6 | Cumberland | 0 | 7 | 9 |
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-70 in Illinois
Too few crashes to name a heaviest slot. The grid shows the shares; a share is only given over 20 crashes.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 1.4 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 1 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.3 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 7.1 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 1 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 5.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 5.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.3 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 5.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 1 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 5.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 4.3 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 7.1 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 8.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 1 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 4.3 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 1 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan4.3%
- Feb8.6%
- Mar7.1%
- Apr2.9%
- May11.4%
- Jun17.1%
- Jul5.7%
- Aug11.4%
- Sep7.1%
- Oct17.1%
- Nov2.9%
- Dec4.3%
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-70 in Illinois first hit
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 46 | 66% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 10 | 14% |
| Parked vehicle | 6 | 8.6% |
| Rollover | 5 | 7.1% |
| Other | 2 | 2.9% |
| Pedestrian | 1 | 1.4% |
| 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-70 in Illinois compare with the state
Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Illinois. A share is only given over 20 crashes.
| I-70 | Illinois | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 80% | 34% | above the Illinois share |
| At or near an intersection | 0.0% | 30% | below the Illinois share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 30% | 25% | above the Illinois share |
| A drinking driver | 17% | 27% | below the Illinois share |
| Speeding | 43% | 37% | above the Illinois share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 44% | 46% | below the Illinois share |
| Hit-and-run | 2.9% | 8.4% | below the Illinois share |
| A motorcycle involved | 1.4% | 14% | below the Illinois share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 1.3% | 16% | below the Illinois share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Other roads in Illinois with a page
All fatal crashes in Illinois, with every road ranked.
Where the I-70 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-70 in Illinois (filed under 15 spellings, such as "I- 70", "I-70", "I-70 (US-40)", "I-70 LEWIS AND CLARK MEMORIAL"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. The full method.