The number of serious crashes on area roadways increased slightly in 2025, according to data presented during Wednesday’s meeting of the Michiana Area Council of Governments’ Transportation Technical Advisory Committee.
Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall and St. Joseph Counties had a combined 442 crashes resulting in serious injury or death last year. Traffic Data Planner David Harker says that’s a three-percent increase from 2024. “It is still down from 2023 and certainly a decrease from even years past,” Harker told committee members.
For example, the number of serious crashes in 2021 was more than 1,400, according to MACOG’s online dashboard.
Seventy of the area’s 2025 crashes were fatal.
When it comes to specific locations, South Bend saw the most crashes involving serious injuries, but unincorporated Elkhart County had the highest number of fatal crashes.
Harker suspects that’s due to higher speeds, darker roads and more “vulnerable road users” in rural areas. “Especially in Elkhart County where we have a larger Amish population that uses bicycles and horse and buggies more, the chances of a fatal crash with those is a lot higher . . . especially since speed limits are so much higher,” Harker added.
While 140 serious crashes happened on highways maintained by the Indiana Department of Transportation, double that number took place on local roads.
