State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 51 fatal crashes on State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania killed 54 people, the 23rd most of 996 numbered roads in Pennsylvania. In 2024 there were 5 fatal crashes and 5 deaths on the road.
A state highway running through 3 counties of Pennsylvania. All fatal crashes in Pennsylvania.
Deaths on State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 5 |
| 2023 | 9 | 10 |
| 2022 | 5 | 5 |
| 2021 | 4 | 4 |
| 2020 | 4 | 4 |
| 2019 | 3 | 3 |
| 2018 | 8 | 9 |
| 2017 | 8 | 9 |
| 2016 | 3 | 3 |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Berks County had the most fatal crashes on State Highway 61 from 2015 to 2024: 27, with 29 deaths. Berks, Schuylkill and Northumberland counties together held 100% of fatal crashes on State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania from 2015 to 2024. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berks County | 3 | 27 | 29 |
| 2 | Schuylkill County | 1 | 18 | 19 |
| 3 | Northumberland County | 1 | 6 | 6 |
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 State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania
51 fatal crashes on State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania 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 1 pm to 2 pm; the worst month is March.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 5.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Mon | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 7.8 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 5.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Thu | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Fri | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 5.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan3.9%
- Feb3.9%
- Mar15.7%
- Apr5.9%
- May9.8%
- Jun7.8%
- Jul5.9%
- Aug11.8%
- Sep11.8%
- Oct13.7%
- Nov5.9%
- Dec3.9%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What fatal crashes on State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in most fatal crashes, 71%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 14%, a pedestrian in 9.8%, a rollover in 3.9%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 36 | 71% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 7 | 14% |
| Pedestrian | 5 | 9.8% |
| Rollover | 2 | 3.9% |
| Parked vehicle | 1 | 2.0% |
| Cyclist | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | 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 State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania compare with the state
The largest difference from Pennsylvania: from 2015 to 2024, 49% of fatal crashes on State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania were at or near an intersection, against 24% across Pennsylvania. Below the Pennsylvania share: rural roads and drinking drivers. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Pennsylvania. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 51 crashes.
| State Highway 61 | Pennsylvania | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 28% | 45% | below the Pennsylvania share |
| At or near an intersection | 49% | 24% | above the Pennsylvania share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 14% | 25% | about the same as the Pennsylvania share |
| A drinking driver | 12% | 25% | below the Pennsylvania share |
| Speeding | 37% | 40% | about the same as the Pennsylvania share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 7.8% | 5.3% | about the same as the Pennsylvania share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 44% | 58% | about the same as the Pennsylvania share |
| Hit-and-run | 2.0% | 5.1% | about the same as the Pennsylvania share |
| A motorcycle involved | 20% | 18% | about the same as the Pennsylvania share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 11% | 14% | about the same as the Pennsylvania 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 State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania
- How many fatal crashes have there been on State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania?
- 51 fatal crashes killed 54 people on State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 5 fatal crashes and 5 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Berks County had the most fatal crashes on State Highway 61 from 2015 to 2024: 27, with 29 deaths. Schuylkill County was second with 18.
Other roads in Pennsylvania with a page
- I-376
- I-476
- I-76
- I-80
- I-81
- I-95
- State Highway 30
- State Highway 309
- State Highway 611
- State Highway 8
- US 1
- US 11
All fatal crashes in Pennsylvania, with every road ranked.
Where the State Highway 61 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as State Highway 61 in Pennsylvania (filed under 13 spellings, such as "SR-61", "SR-61 CENTER ST", "SR-61 CENTRE AV", "SR-61 CENTRE AVE"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are 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. Totals in state and news reports for a road usually differ: they include ramps and frontage roads, or count from preliminary reports. The full method.