Fatal crashes in Clay County, Minnesota
In 2024, 7 people died in 5 fatal crashes in Clay County, Minnesota, up from 6 in 2023. From 2015 to 2024 the county recorded 38 fatal crashes and 45 deaths, the 31st most of 87 counties in Minnesota.
Deaths in Clay County by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 7 |
| 2023 | 6 | 6 |
| 2022 | 6 | 8 |
| 2021 | 3 | 3 |
| 2020 | 6 | 7 |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 |
| 2018 | 4 | 4 |
| 2017 | 3 | 4 |
| 2016 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 | 2 | 3 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Numbered roads with fatal crashes in Clay County
The 1 road listed held 18% of all fatal crashes in Clay County from 2015 to 2024; 1 is an interstate. 53% of the county's fatal crashes were on an interstate, US or state route; the other 47% were on county roads and city streets. Routes are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2022 to 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-94 | 7 | 10 | 4 |
Cities NHTSA filed, with their fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024: Moorhead 8. The city is not filed for crashes outside a city.
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen in Clay County
38 fatal crashes in Clay County, Minnesota 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 3 pm to 4 pm; the worst month is May.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 5.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 7.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Tue | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Wed | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 5.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 5.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 5.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 7.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 5.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 7.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 7.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 5.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan10.5%
- Feb7.9%
- Mar2.6%
- Apr5.3%
- May18.4%
- Jun10.5%
- Jul15.8%
- Aug5.3%
- Sep7.9%
- Oct10.5%
- Nov2.6%
- Dec2.6%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What fatal crashes in Clay County first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in most fatal crashes, 55%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 32%, a rollover in 11%, a pedestrian in 0.0%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 21 | 55% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 12 | 32% |
| Rollover | 4 | 11% |
| Other | 1 | 2.6% |
| Pedestrian | 0 | 0.0% |
| Cyclist | 0 | 0.0% |
| Parked vehicle | 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 in Clay County compare with Minnesota
The largest difference from Minnesota: from 2015 to 2024, pedestrians were 0.0% of the dead in Clay County, against 11% across Minnesota. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Minnesota. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 38 crashes.
| Clay | Minnesota | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural roads | 63% | 58% | about the same as the Minnesota share |
| At or near an intersection | 37% | 33% | about the same as the Minnesota share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 21% | 21% | about the same as the Minnesota share |
| A drinking driver | 21% | 30% | about the same as the Minnesota share |
| Speeding | 24% | 27% | about the same as the Minnesota share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 5.3% | 8.0% | about the same as the Minnesota share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 36% | 38% | about the same as the Minnesota share |
| Hit-and-run | 0.0% | 3.3% | about the same as the Minnesota share |
| A motorcycle involved | 7.9% | 16% | about the same as the Minnesota share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 0.0% | 11% | below the Minnesota 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 in Clay County, Minnesota
- How many people died in car accidents in Clay County in 2024?
- 7 people died in 5 fatal crashes in Clay County, Minnesota, in 2024, up from 6 in 2023. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- How many fatal crashes in Clay County involved a drinking driver?
- 8 of 38 fatal crashes in Clay County from 2015 to 2024 involved a driver NHTSA recorded as drinking, 21%, against 30% across Minnesota.
Other counties in Minnesota with a page
- Hennepin County
- Ramsey County
- Anoka County
- St. Louis County
- Dakota County
- Stearns County
- Washington County
- Sherburne County
- Olmsted County
- Wright County
- Scott County
- Crow Wing County
All fatal crashes in Minnesota, with every county ranked.
Where the Clay County numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash NHTSA filed in Clay County (county code 27). A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. The rate per 100,000 uses the Census Bureau's population estimate for the county; it is the only figure here not counted from FARS. Totals from state highway departments and news reports can differ: they count from their own crash reports, often before every death within 30 days is known, while NHTSA's file is checked against death certificates and revised once a year. The full method.
Download every county with a page as CSV. Free to reuse with credit: “Fatal Crash Data, fatalcrashdata.com/fatal-crashes/minnesota/clay-county/, from NHTSA FARS (2024 Annual Report File).”