‘A hard month’: Nebraska sees spike in deadly crashes in November

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Nebraska has seen a significant increase in crash fatalities this month compared with previous Novembers, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

For 2023 as a whole, state data shows that fatalities are 10% lower than last year.

But so far this month, 15 crash fatalities have been reported in Nebraska.

The average number for November from 2018 to 2022 was eight. That’s an 88% increase.  

“This month has been a hard month,” said Lt. Mike Maytum with the Nebraska State Patrol. “We’ve seen more crashes, more fatalities than in previous years.”

Maytum said it can be a lot of mental pressure for troopers. 

“Troopers are human beings, just like anybody else,” he said. “And it’s as hard for them as it would be for any other person to go out and see those really tragic crashes, memories that are often hard to get rid of.” 

Records from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics say people are driving fewer miles in the U.S. than they were in 2019, but more are dying on roadways. Traffic deaths spiked 18% from 2019 to 2022. 

Nebraska troopers ask people to be cautious on the roads and to follow the law. 

“Speed is one of the primary factors in many of the crashes that we look at,” Maytum said. “So we want people to always be mindful of the speed limit.”