State Highway 20 in West Virginia: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 45 fatal crashes on State Highway 20 in West Virginia killed 48 people, the 14th most of any numbered road in West Virginia. In 2024 there were 4 fatal crashes and 5 deaths on the road.
An state highway running through 9 counties of West Virginia. All fatal crashes in West Virginia.
Deaths on State Highway 20 in West Virginia by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 8 | 8 |
| 2016 | 5 | 5 |
| 2017 | 2 | 2 |
| 2018 | 4 | 6 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | 3 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 |
| 2022 | 9 | 9 |
| 2023 | 7 | 7 |
| 2024 | 4 | 5 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Counties along State Highway 20 in West Virginia
Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercer | 1 | 8 | 9 |
| 2 | Harrison | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| 3 | Upshur | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| 4 | Nicholas | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | Webster | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | Summers | 1 | 5 | 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 20 in West Virginia
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 | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 8.9 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 4.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 4.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 4.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 6.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 6.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 8.9 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan4.4%
- Feb11.1%
- Mar11.1%
- Apr4.4%
- May8.9%
- Jun8.9%
- Jul8.9%
- Aug15.6%
- Sep4.4%
- Oct4.4%
- Nov13.3%
- Dec4.4%
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 20 in West Virginia first hit
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 19 | 42% |
| Collision with another vehicle | 16 | 36% |
| Pedestrian | 6 | 13% |
| Other | 3 | 6.7% |
| Rollover | 1 | 2.2% |
| 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 on State Highway 20 in West Virginia compare with the state
Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of West Virginia. A share is only given over 20 crashes.
| State Highway 20 | West Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 80% | 64% | above the West Virginia share |
| At or near an intersection | 6.7% | 12% | below the West Virginia share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 27% | 32% | below the West Virginia share |
| A drinking driver | 40% | 27% | above the West Virginia share |
| Speeding | 18% | 27% | below the West Virginia share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 53% | 52% | about the same as the West Virginia share |
| Hit-and-run | 6.7% | 3.3% | above the West Virginia share |
| A motorcycle involved | 16% | 13% | above the West Virginia share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 13% | 8.7% | above the West Virginia share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Other roads in West Virginia with a page
All fatal crashes in West Virginia, with every road ranked.
Where the State Highway 20 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 20 in West Virginia (filed under 9 spellings, such as "SR-20", "SR-20 - SHORTLINE HWY", "SR-20 - THORN ST", "SR-20 BUCKHANNON PIKE"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. The full method.