Located along the western border of Ohio, Darke County is home to over 53,000 residents and lists the Township of Greenville as its most populous city and its county seat. Named for military officer William Darke, Darke County spans 600 square miles and is almost completely water-free. Given Ohio’s proximity to the great lakes, Lake Erie in particular, the near absence of waterways within Darke County is unusual.
As expected, the township in Darke County to report the most annual traffic accidents is none other than the Township of Greenville. In 2007, the Township of Greenville reported 252 of the 883 traffic accidents in Darke County as well as one of the six traffic-related fatalities within the county. 2008 again saw the Township of Greenville lead Darke County in terms of overall motor vehicle accidents with 215 recorded traffic accidents included four traffic-related fatalities. Considering the fact that Darke County only recorded 896 traffic accidents and 10 fatalities during 2008, it might seem that the Township of Greenville is particularly dangerous for motorists.
While it is true that the Township of Greenville is not the safest place for motorists in Darke County, it is far safer than the much smaller Township of Adams, which took second place in 2007 and again in 2008 for most traffic accidents in Darke County. With 83 and 102 accidents respectively, as well as a single fatality each year, the Township of Adams is arguably the most dangerous place in Darke County for motorists when measured on a per capita basis. This is primarily due to the low population of the Township of Adams, which barely exceed 3,500.
One of the surprising statistics about the traffic accidents in the Township of Adams is that comparatively few of them are caused by alcohol. In 2007, only 5 of the 83 traffic accidents recorded in the Township of Adams were attributed to alcohol, as were only 9 of the traffic accidents in 2008. Sadly, both of the fatalities to occur in Adams during the 2007-2008 timeframe were linked to alcohol.
Van Buren is another smaller township that also seems to be comparatively unsafe for motorists, with 38 traffic accidents on record in 2008 and an amazing 52 in 2007. For a township with just under 1,600 residents, these numbers are very high. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to consider crash-related statistics against population, as there are many other factors to consider. One of those factors is alcohol and the placement of bars in proximity to dangerous roads, though this does not seem to be the case with the Township of Van Buren as only 1 of the 52 traffic accidents recorded there in 2007 was linked to alcohol, as were two of the 38 accidents in 2008.
Despite having a population roughly three times greater than that of the Township of Van Buren, the Township of Wayne only recorded 45 total traffic accidents in 2007 and 49 in 2008. This marks the Township of Wayne as one of the safer population centers in Darke County for motorists.
If you’ve been injured or have lost a loved one in a Greenville Township, Adams Township, or Van Buren Township truck / car accident, call the Darke County auto accident and wrongful death attorneys / lawyers at Chester Law Group at 800-218-4243 or order your FREE BOOK entitled The Insider’s Guide to Handling Ohio Accident Claims at www.ChesterLaw.com.