Kentucky averages 69 fatal interstate crashes involving large trucks each year, ranking the state eighth in the nation for its per-capita rate, according to a nationwide analysis.

The study by DeHoyos Accident Attorneys, reported by The Lane Report, examined data from 2020 through 2024. Kentucky recorded 345 fatal interstate truck crashes during that span. The state's rate of 1.50 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents was roughly 75% higher than the national average of 0.857.

The numbers hit close to home.

The I-71/I-75 interchange in Boone County carried an average of 13,093 trucks per day in 2021 and ranked 23rd among the top truck bottlenecks on Kentucky's interstate system, according to the Kentucky Freight Plan. The Brent Spence Bridge, which funnels I-71/I-75 traffic into Northern Kentucky, was listed as the second-worst freight bottleneck in the country that same year by the American Transportation Research Institute.

That truck volume reflects the region's concentration of freight operations. CVG Airport in Hebron ranks as the sixth-largest cargo airport in North America, housing Amazon Air's primary U.S. hub, DHL's Americas super hub and a major UPS operation on a single campus, according to BE NKY. Northern Kentucky sits at the convergence of I-71, I-75 and I-275, within a single day's drive of 54% of the U.S. population.

Large-truck incidents have disrupted the corridor repeatedly. On June 8, 2024, an overturned tractor-trailer shut down the ramp from northbound I-71 to northbound I-75, forcing traffic detours through Walton, the Boone County Sheriff's Office reported. On May 1, 2024, on-ramps from I-75 to southbound I-71 were closed for several hours for a semi recovery on I-71 southbound, with motorists already on I-71 south turned around.

The 345 crashes in the study were classified as "involving" large trucks, which does not necessarily mean a truck or its driver caused each crash. The study's methodology ranked states by crash rates rather than raw totals, allowing less-populated states to be compared with larger ones.

Statewide, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's own crash analysis showed truck-related fatal crashes on all roads ranged from 86 to 106 per year between 2020 and 2023.

New Mexico topped the national rankings at 3.52 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents. Wyoming ranked second at 3.37. Neighboring Tennessee placed sixth at 1.78.

No local officials have publicly commented on the study's findings. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's District 6 office, which covers Boone County, has not issued a response as of Friday, Sept. 18.