While Chatham-Kent police were kept busy responding to hundreds of collisions, 2024 was a far less deadly year on local roads.
According to a year-end report presented to the Chatham-Kent Police Services Board this week, there were 2,004 collisions reported to police last year, a slight drop of 48 crashes compared to the year prior.
The Traffic Management Unit responded to 25 serious collisions in 2024, the same number attended in 2023. However, there were seven fatal collisions investigated last year, down from 14 the year before. This past year also marked the fewest fatal crashes on Chatham-Kent roads in the last four years.
The traffic unit responded to 13 collisions that resulted in life-threatening injuries in 2024, up from eight in 2023.
Of the 20 fatal and serious injury crashes, nine resulted in charges being laid. Two of the collisions remain under investigation and may result in charges.
According to the board report, crashes involving impaired drivers decreased 12 per cent year-over-year.
Grand Avenue East and St. Clair Street was the most collision-prone intersection in Chatham-Kent in 2024 with 16 crashes. The intersection of Keil Drive and Richmond Street saw the second most collisions at 11, followed by McNaughton Avenue East and St. Clair Street; Lacroix Street and Richmond Street; and Grand Avenue West and Lacroix Street, which all saw nine collisions last year.
