Denver streets have seen more than 24,600 reported motor-vehicle accidents since the beginning of 2023, according to the city's Open Data Catalog from January 1, 2023, through May 12, 2024. Those crashes have resulted in 576 serious bodily injuries and 85 deaths, based on the Vision Zero dashboard.
That makes 2023 Denver's worst year for serious collisions in decades.
Ten of the city's surface street intersections have seen more crashes than any other — boasting 354 collisions between them in the past seventeen months — not including highways, entrances or exits. None of those accidents were fatal, but fifteen people were seriously injured.
Half of these dangerous intersections were featured on Westword's last ranking, in March 2022, but in different spots. Almost all of the repeat intersections are ranked lower now than in 2022, though one jumped from fourth-most dangerous to first this year. Three of this year's top-ten intersections have never before been listed in previous most-dangerous rankings, and one of the newcomers even cracked the top three.
Only one intersection, South Santa Fe Drive at West Alameda Avenue, has been featured on every one of Westword's most dangerous rankings, from 2017 through 2024. But this year, the intersection achieved its lowest rating to date.
While serious car accidents are rising, this year's most dangerous intersection had fewer crashes than ever at 41. In the most recent ranking from 2022, the first-place intersection had 49 collisions, and the time frame for reported crashes was two months shorter than this year's. First place had 56 collisions in 2019 and 50 in 2018, with time frames nearly the same length as this year's.
Here is the most recent list of Denver intersections that drivers might want to avoid:
10. South Federal Boulevard and West Jewell Avenue
Total crashes: 292024: 3
2023: 26
Serious injuries: 7
9. South Santa Fe Drive and West Alameda Avenue
Total crashes: 32 2024: 11
2023: 21
Serious injuries: 0
8. East Martin Luther King Boulevard and North Central Park Boulevard
Total crashes: 33 2024: 11
2023: 22
Serious injuries: 1
7. East Colfax Avenue and North Colorado Boulevard
Total crashes: 33 2024: 7
2023: 26
Serious injuries: 3
6. North Quebec Street and East Martin Luther King Boulevard
Total crashes: 35 2024: 9
2023: 26
Serious injuries: 0
5. South Platte River Drive and West Mississippi Avenue
Total crashes: 36 2024: 8
2023: 28
Serious injuries: 0
4. West Colfax Avenue and North Speer Boulevard
Total crashes: 36 2024: 14
2023: 22
Serious injuries: 1
3. East Hampden Avenue and South Tamarac Drive
Total crashes: 39 2024: 10
2023: 29
Serious injuries: 0
2. West Mississippi Avenue and South Santa Fe Drive
Total crashes: 40 2024: 9
2023: 31
Serious injuries: 2
1. East 56th Avenue and North Tower Road
Total crashes: 41 2024: 11
2023: 30
Serious injuries: 1
