Fatal crashes in Shelby County, Tennessee
In 2024, 218 people died in 195 fatal crashes in Shelby County, Tennessee, 15.8% fewer than in 2023. From 2015 to 2024 the county recorded 1,755 fatal crashes and 1,909 deaths, the most of any county in Tennessee.
23.9 deaths per 100,000 residents, against 16.6 across Tennessee in 2024; 20.6 against 16.8 a year over 2015 to 2024. Population 910,530, Census Bureau estimate. All fatal crashes in Tennessee.
Deaths in Shelby County by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 195 | 218 |
| 2023 | 234 | 259 |
| 2022 | 225 | 246 |
| 2021 | 230 | 255 |
| 2020 | 229 | 246 |
| 2019 | 144 | 155 |
| 2018 | 144 | 158 |
| 2017 | 115 | 120 |
| 2016 | 128 | 132 |
| 2015 | 111 | 120 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
The deadliest roads in Shelby County
I-240 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Shelby County from 2015 to 2024: 91, with 101 deaths. The 15 roads listed held 44% of all fatal crashes in Shelby County from 2015 to 2024; 3 are interstates, 5 US routes, 7 state highways. 46% of the county's fatal crashes were on an interstate, US or state route; the other 54% were on county roads and city streets. Routes are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2022 to 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-240 | 91 | 101 | 33 | |
| 2 | State Highway 175 | 90 | 102 | 33 | |
| 3 | I-40 | 87 | 95 | 25 | |
| 4 | US 51 | 87 | 91 | 29 | |
| 5 | State Highway 14 | 81 | 85 | 29 | |
| 6 | US 64 | 80 | 87 | 35 | |
| 7 | US 61 | 73 | 82 | 34 | |
| 8 | US 78 | 62 | 65 | 20 | |
| 9 | I-55 | 25 | 28 | 8 | no page |
| 10 | US 72 | 20 | 22 | 7 | no page |
| 11 | State Highway 385 | 20 | 20 | 6 | no page |
| 12 | State Highway 204 | 19 | 19 | 7 | no page |
| 13 | State Highway 177 | 16 | 19 | 7 | no page |
| 14 | State Highway 176 | 15 | 18 | 1 | no page |
| 15 | State Highway 23 | 8 | 9 | 1 | no page |
Memphis had 83% of the county's fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, 1,462 of 1,755.
Cities NHTSA filed, with their fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024: Memphis 1,462, Millington 16, Lakeland 15, Collierville 13, Germantown 12, Bartlett 11, Arlington 9. 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 Shelby County
The heaviest slot is Sunday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Saturday), with 90 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 8 pm to 9 pm; the worst month is October.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 5.2 percent, 90 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 29 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 21 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 37 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 56 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 57 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 2.4 percent, 42 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 29 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 16 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 24 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 49 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 54 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.7 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 28 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 19 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 31 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 48 fatal crashes | 3.5 percent, 60 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.2 percent, 20 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 22 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 17 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 39 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 51 fatal crashes | 3.9 percent, 67 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 1.8 percent, 31 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 20 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 33 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 42 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 59 fatal crashes | 3.8 percent, 65 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 2.2 percent, 38 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 23 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 30 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 37 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 59 fatal crashes | 4.2 percent, 73 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 3.6 percent, 62 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 25 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 18 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 36 fatal crashes | 4.2 percent, 72 fatal crashes | 4.6 percent, 79 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan6.7%
- Feb6.8%
- Mar7.3%
- Apr8.3%
- May9.1%
- Jun8.8%
- Jul8.9%
- Aug9.2%
- Sep8.9%
- Oct9.5%
- Nov7.3%
- Dec9.2%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What fatal crashes in Shelby County first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 45%; a pedestrian in 25%, a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 22%, a parked vehicle in 1.6%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 793 | 45% |
| Pedestrian | 443 | 25% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 393 | 22% |
| Other | 51 | 2.9% |
| Parked vehicle | 28 | 1.6% |
| Rollover | 26 | 1.5% |
| Cyclist | 21 | 1.2% |
| 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 Shelby County compare with Tennessee
The largest difference from Tennessee: from 2015 to 2024, 2.7% of fatal crashes in Shelby County were on rural roads, against 43% across Tennessee. Also above the Tennessee share: intersections, speeding, unbelted occupants, hit-and-runs and pedestrians. Below it: unlit roads at night, drinking drivers and motorcycles. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Tennessee. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 1,755 crashes.
| Shelby | Tennessee | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural roads | 2.7% | 43% | below the Tennessee share |
| At or near an intersection | 29% | 19% | above the Tennessee share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 9.9% | 26% | below the Tennessee share |
| A drinking driver | 21% | 25% | below the Tennessee share |
| Speeding | 19% | 17% | above the Tennessee share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 6.8% | 6.7% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 52% | 49% | above the Tennessee share |
| Hit-and-run | 16% | 6.6% | above the Tennessee share |
| A motorcycle involved | 10% | 15% | below the Tennessee share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 26% | 13% | above the Tennessee 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 Shelby County, Tennessee
- How many people died in car accidents in Shelby County in 2024?
- 218 people died in 195 fatal crashes in Shelby County, Tennessee, in 2024, 15.8% fewer than in 2023. That is 23.9 deaths per 100,000 residents, against 16.6 across Tennessee. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- What is the deadliest road in Shelby County?
- I-240 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Shelby County from 2015 to 2024: 91, with 101 deaths.
- When do fatal crashes in Shelby County happen most often?
- The heaviest slot from 2015 to 2024 was Sunday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Saturday), with 90 fatal crashes.
- How many fatal crashes in Shelby County involved a drinking driver?
- 364 of 1,755 fatal crashes in Shelby County from 2015 to 2024 involved a driver NHTSA recorded as drinking, 21%, against 25% across Tennessee.
Other counties in Tennessee with a page
- Davidson County
- Knox County
- Hamilton County
- Rutherford County
- Montgomery County
- Wilson County
- Sullivan County
- Blount County
- Greene County
- Madison County
- Sevier County
- Williamson County
All fatal crashes in Tennessee, with every county ranked.
Where the Shelby County numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash NHTSA filed in Shelby County (county code 157). 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/tennessee/shelby-county/, from NHTSA FARS (2024 Annual Report File).”