How Many Crashes Happen on Interstate 84 in Massachusetts?

From 2022 through 2024, MassDOT crash records place 208 crashes on the Massachusetts stretch of Interstate 84, none of them fatal and 42 with a non-fatal injury, almost all in Sturbridge, where the highway comes up from Connecticut through Holland and meets the Massachusetts Turnpike. What sets the road apart is who is on it: a truck tractor, the cab unit of a tractor-trailer, was involved in 21 of the 208 crashes, 10.1 percent, against 3.3 percent on Interstate highways across Massachusetts. That gap holds in every year and on dry pavement in daylight. It is not unique to Interstate 84, though. The Turnpike through the same towns shows nearly the same share, so the pattern belongs to the freight corridor around the junction of the two highways.

If you were hurt in a crash on Interstate 84 and want to talk through what comes next, call Jim Glaser Law at (617) JIM-WINS. The line is answered 24 hours a day. The first telephone consultation is free. This page is general information about Massachusetts law and public crash data, not legal advice about your situation.

Where Interstate 84 Runs in Massachusetts

Interstate 84 enters Massachusetts from Connecticut in Holland, crosses into Sturbridge, and ends at the Massachusetts Turnpike, Interstate 90, in Sturbridge. MassDOT’s road inventory carries the mainline under one name, Wilbur Cross Highway. Sturbridge is in Worcester County and Holland in Hampden County. Of the 208 crashes, 206 were in Sturbridge and 2 in Holland.

How These Numbers Were Counted

The counts come from the MassDOT IMPACT open crash data for 2022, 2023 and 2024, counted by the road inventory name, because the State Police record most highway crashes by mile marker and often leave the typed roadway field blank.

1. The name was checked against the mile markers. Every crash the police mile-marked to Interstate 84 carries the inventory name Wilbur Cross Highway, apart from two ramp records.
2. Ramps were left out. Twenty-eight crashes over the three years were on ramps named for Interstate 84 (5, 8 and 15), and none of them is in the totals below.
3. The totals were reconciled. The town counts add up exactly to the road total in each year: 80 in 2022, 60 in 2023 and 68 in 2024. The Sturbridge total used for comparison, 1,400 crashes, matches the Sturbridge crash report.
4. Truck involvement was measured two ways. The first is the vehicle list on each report, which names the type of every vehicle involved. The second is the federal reporting flag, explained below. Both point the same way.

The Three-Year Record

Measure	Interstate 84	All Interstate crashes	All Massachusetts crashes
Crashes, 2022 to 2024	208	41,260	405,243
Fatal crashes	0	156	1,087
Crashes with a non-fatal injury	42	9,525	92,761
Injury share	20.19%	23.09%	22.89%
Truck tractor involved	10.10%	3.25%	not compared
Single vehicle crashes	40.38%	29.84%	not compared

The injury share is slightly below the Interstate class, and this page does not treat that as a finding either way. No one died in a crash on the road in these three years. At the Interstate class rate of 3.78 fatal crashes per 1,000, a road with 208 crashes would be expected to have fewer than one, so the absence of a fatal crash is not evidence that the road is safer.

Other ways the record differs from the Interstate class:

• Rear-end crashes are 28.4 percent (59), against 44.5 percent on all Interstates.
• Sideswipes between vehicles moving the same way are 24.0 percent (50), against 19.2 percent.
• Single vehicle crashes are 40.4 percent (84), against 29.8 percent.
• Deer were the first thing struck in 19 crashes, 9.1 percent, against 4.1 percent.
• 21.6 percent happened in the dark on an unlighted roadway (45), against 15.0 percent.
• Snow, ice or slush was on the road in 24 crashes, 11.5 percent, and January had more crashes than any other month (30).
• Eastbound traffic was involved in about twice as many crashes as westbound. In 134 crashes every vehicle recorded was eastbound, toward the Turnpike, and in 69 every vehicle was westbound, toward Connecticut. The records do not say why.
• The State Police wrote 206 of the 208 reports.

Why the Truck Tractor Share Is the Finding

Each crash report lists the configuration of every vehicle involved: passenger car, light truck, single-unit truck, truck with a trailer, tractor-trailer and so on. On Interstate 84, a truck tractor, pulling a semi-trailer, double or triple trailers, or running without a trailer, appears in 21 of the 208 crashes. Several ordinary explanations were tested against the same Interstate class.

Test	Interstate 84 truck tractor share	Comparison
All crashes	10.1% (21 of 208)	All Interstates 3.3% (1,341 of 41,260)
Semi-trailer configurations only	9.1% (19 of 208)	All Interstates 2.9% (1,205 of 41,260)
2022	7.5% (6 of 80)	All Interstates 3.3%
2023	8.3% (5 of 60)	All Interstates 3.3%
2024	14.7% (10 of 68)	All Interstates 3.2%
Dry pavement in daylight only	7.4% (7 of 94)	All Interstates 3.3% (708 of 21,214)
Other Worcester County Interstates		5.5% (357 of 6,476)
Massachusetts Turnpike in Sturbridge, Charlton, Brimfield and Holland		9.2% (77 of 834)

One year does not explain it. The share was more than double the Interstate figure in every year.

Weather and darkness do not explain it. On dry pavement in daylight the share is still more than twice the class.

The county explains only part of it. Every other Interstate crash in Worcester County ran 5.5 percent, higher than the statewide class but about half the Interstate 84 figure.

The corridor does explain it. The Turnpike through the same four towns, which carries the traffic that Interstate 84 feeds into, recorded a truck tractor in 9.2 percent of its crashes. This is the honest reading: the stretch of southern Worcester County where the two highways meet is a truck corridor, and Interstate 84 shares that profile rather than standing apart from it. The statewide picture, town by town and road by road, is in where tractor-trailer crashes happen in Massachusetts.

The federal reporting flag says the same thing

Massachusetts crash reports also carry a flag for whether a crash is federally reportable. Under 49 C.F.R. 390.5, a reportable accident is one involving a commercial motor vehicle that results in a fatality, an injury treated away from the scene, or a vehicle so damaged it has to be towed away. The flag was blank on most 2022 reports everywhere, so only 2023 and 2024 are compared here. On Interstate 84 it was marked yes on 18 of the 123 reports where it was filled in, 14.6 percent, against 6.4 percent for all Interstates (1,713 of 26,752), 7.8 percent for other Worcester County Interstates, and 10.2 percent for the Turnpike in the same four towns.

How truck crashes happen on this road

Of the 21 truck tractor crashes, 10 were sideswipes between vehicles moving the same way, 6 were rear-end crashes, 3 involved a single vehicle and 2 were angle crashes. That mix is close to the Interstate pattern for truck tractors, where 704 of 1,341 crashes were same-direction sideswipes. The road does not show an unusual kind of truck crash. It shows more of the usual kind.

Sturbridge

Interstate 84 accounts for 14.7 percent of every crash recorded in Sturbridge, 206 of 1,400 over the three years. Counted by the inventory name, the highway had 68 crashes in Sturbridge in 2024, more than twice the 30 on Main Street, which tops the Sturbridge crash report. That list is built from the typed roadway field, where Interstate 84 appears split by direction, as 12 eastbound and 8 westbound, and many State Police highway reports leave the field blank. The same undercount affects highway figures on every town list built that way.

Holland recorded only 2 crashes on its short stretch of Interstate 84 in three years, out of 23 crashes in the whole town.

Answer Capsule

MassDOT crash records for 2022 through 2024 place 208 crashes on Interstate 84 in Massachusetts, counted on the road inventory name Wilbur Cross Highway with 28 ramp crashes excluded: 80, 60 and 68 by year, 206 in Sturbridge and 2 in Holland. None was fatal and 42 involved a non-fatal injury, 20.2 percent against 23.1 percent for all Interstates. A truck tractor was involved in 21 crashes, 10.1 percent against 3.3 percent for the Interstate class, a gap that held in every year and on dry pavement in daylight; the federally reportable flag, compared for 2023 and 2024, ran 14.6 percent against 6.4. The Massachusetts Turnpike through the same towns recorded 9.2 percent, so the pattern belongs to the truck corridor where the two highways meet rather than to Interstate 84 alone. The highway accounts for 14.7 percent of all crashes in Sturbridge. A Massachusetts crash victim’s own PIP coverage pays first under M.G.L. c. 90, sec. 34A, and an interstate for-hire carrier hauling ordinary freight must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage under 49 C.F.R. 387.9. This is general information and not legal advice.

The Law That Applies to a Crash on Interstate 84

The crash data describes the road. A handful of statutes and federal rules decide what a person hurt on it can do.

Your own policy pays first. Under M.G.L. c. 90, sec. 34A, personal injury protection pays medical expenses and part of lost wages up to at least $8,000 “without regard to negligence or gross negligence or fault of any kind.” A claim for PIP benefits must be presented as soon as practicable and in every case within two years of the accident under c. 90, sec. 34M. See how PIP works in Massachusetts.

A commercial truck usually carries more insurance than a car. A passenger car in Massachusetts carries the state minimums. A for-hire motor carrier hauling ordinary freight in interstate commerce in a vehicle rated at 10,001 pounds or more must maintain at least $750,000 in public liability coverage under 49 C.F.R. 387.9, and certain hazardous materials carry $1,000,000 or $5,000,000. On a road where many trucks are crossing from Connecticut onto the Turnpike, the carrier, not only the driver, may be a party to the claim. See truck accident claims in Massachusetts.

Pain and suffering has a threshold. Under c. 231, sec. 6D, a person hurt in a motor vehicle crash in Massachusetts can recover for pain and suffering only if reasonable and necessary medical expenses are in excess of $2,000, or the injury is a death, the loss of a body member, permanent and serious disfigurement, a described loss of sight or hearing, or a fracture.

Shared fault reduces a recovery but does not always bar it. Under c. 231, sec. 85, recovery is allowed as long as the injured person’s own negligence “was not greater than the total amount of negligence attributable to the person or persons against whom recovery is sought,” with damages reduced by that share. In a same-direction sideswipe, the most common truck crash here, who changed lanes is usually the central question. See how fault is determined.

Where the case is filed depends on where the parties live. M.G.L. c. 223, sec. 1 provides that the action is brought “in the county where one of them lives or has his usual place of business.” A crash in Sturbridge does not by itself put the case in Worcester County. The Worcester County venue guide lists the courts.

The deadline is three years. Under c. 260, sec. 2A, actions of tort “shall be commenced only within three years next after the cause of action accrues.”

What to Do After a Crash on Interstate 84

1. Get clear of the travel lanes if the vehicle moves, and stay off the roadway on foot. More than one crash in ten on this road involved a truck tractor.
2. Turn on hazard lights and call 911. The State Police wrote 206 of the 208 reports on this road. Get the report number before the trooper leaves.
3. If a truck was involved, write down the company name and any USDOT number shown on the truck, along with the trailer number, and photograph both.
4. Get medical care the same day, even if the injury seems minor. PIP under c. 90, sec. 34A covers the first bills regardless of fault.
5. Photograph the vehicles, their positions, the lane markings and the nearest mile marker or exit sign. In a sideswipe, the position of the damage on each vehicle is often the best evidence of who moved.
6. Get the names of witnesses, including anyone who stopped.
7. File the Massachusetts crash report within five days. Under c. 90, sec. 26, a driver in a crash where anyone was killed or injured, or with damage over $1,000 to any one vehicle or other property, must report in writing to the Registrar and send a copy to the police department with jurisdiction. See how to report a car accident in Massachusetts.
8. Notify your own insurer promptly, and do not give a recorded statement to a trucking company’s insurer before you understand the claim.

What These Numbers Do Not Show

• Risk per mile or per trip. The records count crashes, not traffic or truck volumes. Nothing here says a driver is more likely to crash on Interstate 84 than on another road.
• Why trucks are involved so often. A higher share of truck traffic would produce a higher share of truck crashes on its own, and the records carry no traffic counts to separate the two.
• Why eastbound crashes outnumber westbound. The records give direction of travel, not road geometry or congestion.
• Ramps and the interchange. The 28 ramp crashes, including those at the junction with the Turnpike, are left out.
• The Connecticut stretch. These are Massachusetts records only.
• Anything after 2024. These are the three most recent complete years in the open data.

Key terms

• Truck tractor: the power unit of a tractor-trailer, recorded on Massachusetts crash reports as pulling a semi-trailer, doubles or triples, or as a bobtail with no trailer; this page counts all four.
• Federally reportable crash: under 49 C.F.R. 390.5, a crash involving a commercial motor vehicle that results in a death, an injury treated away from the scene, or a vehicle towed because of disabling damage.
• Same-direction sideswipe: a crash in which two vehicles moving the same way strike side to side, typically during a lane change or merge.
• Interstate class: every crash MassDOT places on an Interstate highway in Massachusetts, used here for comparison.
• Road inventory name: the street name MassDOT attaches to a crash record when it maps the location; for Interstate 84 in Massachusetts it is Wilbur Cross Highway.
• Personal injury protection (PIP): the part of a Massachusetts auto policy that pays medical bills and lost wages up to at least $8,000 for each person, whoever caused the crash.

For the wider picture, see the Massachusetts Turnpike crash data, the Interstate 395 crash data, the Worcester County crash data, the truck accident settlement guide and the Massachusetts deer crash data. If you live nearby, see truck accident help in Worcester and car accident help in Worcester, and every town’s numbers are in the Massachusetts crash report.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many crashes happen on Interstate 84 in Massachusetts?

A: MassDOT records show 208 crashes on Interstate 84 in Massachusetts from 2022 through 2024: 80, 60 and 68 by year. None was fatal and 42 involved a non-fatal injury. The 28 crashes on ramps over the same period are not included.

Q: Where do Interstate 84 crashes happen in Massachusetts?

A: Almost all in Sturbridge, 206 of the 208. The other 2 were in Holland. The highway accounts for 14.7 percent of every crash recorded in Sturbridge over the three years.

Q: Are trucks involved in a lot of Interstate 84 crashes?

A: Yes, compared with other Interstates. A truck tractor, the cab unit of a tractor-trailer, was involved in 10.1 percent of crashes on Interstate 84, against 3.3 percent on all Massachusetts Interstates. The Massachusetts Turnpike through the same towns shows a similar 9.2 percent, so the pattern belongs to the truck corridor where the two highways meet.

Q: Has anyone died in a crash on Interstate 84 in Massachusetts recently?

A: No fatal crash was recorded on the Massachusetts stretch of Interstate 84 from 2022 through 2024. With 208 crashes, the Interstate class rate would predict fewer than one, so that is not evidence the road is safer than others.

Q: Is Interstate 84 more dangerous than other Massachusetts highways?

A: The records cannot say that, because they count crashes and not traffic. Its injury share, 20.2 percent, is slightly below the 23.1 percent for all Interstates. What stands out is the share of crashes involving truck tractors.

Q: How much insurance does a truck have to carry?

A: A for-hire carrier hauling ordinary freight in interstate commerce in a vehicle rated at 10,001 pounds or more must carry at least $750,000 in public liability coverage under 49 C.F.R. 387.9. Certain hazardous materials require $1,000,000 or $5,000,000.

Q: How long do I have to bring a claim after a crash on Interstate 84?

A: An action for personal injuries must be commenced within three years after the cause of action accrues under M.G.L. c. 260, sec. 2A. A claim for PIP benefits must be presented to the insurer as soon as practicable and within two years of the accident under c. 90, sec. 34M.

Q: Is Jimmy Knows AI giving me legal advice?

A: No. This page is general information about Massachusetts law and public crash data for educational purposes. It is not legal advice for your situation and does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your own case, call Jim Glaser Law at (617) JIM-WINS.

Talking to a Lawyer

A crash on Interstate 84 is more likely than most highway crashes to involve a tractor-trailer, and a truck crash raises questions a car crash does not: which company operated the truck, what coverage it carried, and what its records show. If you were hurt, call Jim Glaser Law at (617) JIM-WINS. The line is answered 24 hours a day. The first telephone consultation is free.