States › South Dakota › Routes › State Route 44
State Route 44
Fatal crashes 2015–2024 26Deaths 32Counties 8Latest data year 2024
FARS data are based on police crash reports and other sources; the drunk-driving measure is based on the highest BAC of any driver in the crash. Latest data year: 2024. The route is the trafficway recorded for each crash (FARS TWAY_ID); the same route number in another state has its own page.
Between 2015 and 2024, FARS records 26 fatal crashes on State Route 44 in South Dakota, with 32 deaths.
That is 2.2% of the 1,174 fatal crashes in South Dakota over the same years. The ten-year crash count fell 13% from 30 in 2005–2014 to 26 in 2015–2024.
The crashes were concentrated in Pennington County (14), Hutchinson County (3) and Jackson County (3) and 5 other counties.
30.8% of the crashes had a driver reported as drinking (South Dakota: 34.9%) and 23.1% had a speeding-related driver (26.6%); pedestrians were 12.5% and motorcyclists 21.9% of those killed.
Fatal crashes per year
Route identification in FARS is consistent from 2000; earlier years are not shown. Shaded band: the ten-year window used for the shares below.
Compared with all fatal crashes in South Dakota
| Measure | State Route 44 | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Fatal crashes, 2015–2024 | 26 | 1,174 |
| Deaths, 2015–2024 | 32 | 1,323 |
| Deaths per fatal crash | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Share of state fatal crashes | 2.2% | 100% |
| Change vs previous ten years | -13% | -8% |
Factor shares
Counties along the route
| # | County | Fatal crashes on SR-44 | Share of route | County total, all roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennington County | 14 | 54% | 135 |
| 2 | Hutchinson County | 3 | 12% | 18 |
| 3 | Jackson County | 3 | 12% | 22 |
| 4 | Charles Mix County | 2 | 8% | 23 |
| 5 | Douglas County | 1 | 4% | 4 |
| 6 | Lincoln County | 1 | 4% | 50 |
| 7 | Mellette County | 1 | 4% | 4 |
| 8 | Tripp County | 1 | 4% | 11 |
Hour of day
Share of fatal crashes on State Route 44 beginning in each hour, 2015–2024; tick marks the South Dakota share for all roads.
Where along the route
| Mile marker range | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mile 45–50 | 6 | 23% |
| Mile 40–45 | 2 | 8% |
| Mile 90–95 | 2 | 8% |
| Mile 305–310 | 2 | 8% |
| Mile 30–35 | 1 | 4% |
| Mile 55–60 | 1 | 4% |
Five-mile bins by FARS milepoint, the six with the most fatal crashes; 96.2% of crashes on the route have a milepoint. Milepoints are as recorded by the state and can restart at county or district lines.
Other routes in South Dakota
- Interstate 90 112
- US Route 18 53
- Interstate 29 51
- US Route 14 34
- US Route 212 29
- US Route 12 26
- US Route 16 24
- State Route 34 24
All routes and counties in South Dakota
Questions and answers
How many fatal crashes have there been on State Route 44 in South Dakota?
26 fatal crashes with 32 deaths over 2015–2024, per NHTSA's FARS. The route is the trafficway recorded for the crash; the same numbered route in another state has its own page.
Which counties along State Route 44 had the most fatal crashes?
Pennington County (14), Hutchinson County (3), Jackson County (3), Charles Mix County (2) and Douglas County (1).
What share of crashes on State Route 44 involved alcohol or speeding?
30.8% had a driver reported as drinking and 23.1% a speeding-related driver, against 34.9% and 26.6% for all fatal crashes in South Dakota.
When do fatal crashes happen on State Route 44?
40.0% of the crashes were between 6pm and 6am. The hour chart on this page shows the full distribution.
Provenance
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, annual national CSV files 2000–2024 (accident, vehicle and person tables), public domain. Route pages are built for signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026. See methodology and corrections.