East Orange car accidents: the roads, intersections and hours where people get hurt
Police reported 4,648 car accidents in East Orange in 2023 and 2024. Someone was hurt or killed in 841 of them, about 1.2 a day, and 8 people died. The Garden State Parkway and I-280 carry 37 percent of those injury accidents.1
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How many car accidents happen in East Orange each year?
About 2,400 a year: 2,422 in 2024 and 2,440 in 2025.
See the full table
| Year | All accidents | Someone hurt or killed | People hurt | People killed | Pedestrian accidents | Bicycle accidents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2,226 | 325 | 414 | 3 | 68 | 16 |
| 2024 | 2,422 | 516 | 717 | 5 | 86 | 24 |
| 2025 (preliminary) | 2,440 | 538 | 727 | 1 | 87 | 37 |
East Orange held level in 2025, while Essex County as a whole is at 87 percent of its 2024 count and Newark at 63 percent. Bicycle accidents more than doubled, from 16 in 2023 to 37 in 2025.
Where do most car accidents happen in East Orange?
On its two highways. The Garden State Parkway had 189 accidents where someone was hurt in 2023 and 2024, and I-280 had 125. No local road comes close.
See the full table
| Road | All accidents | Someone hurt or killed | Share of the city's hurt-or-killed accidents | People killed | Pedestrian accidents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 790 | 189 | 22.5% | 0 | 0 |
| I-280 | 559 | 125 | 14.9% | 1 | 0 |
| Central Avenue (Route 508) | 378 | 74 | 8.8% | 2 | 30 |
| Freeway Drive East and West | 322 | 64 | 7.6% | 0 | 13 |
| Grove Street (Route 509) | 259 | 48 | 5.7% | 1 | 4 |
| Park Avenue (Essex County 658) | 215 | 34 | 4.0% | 2 | 12 |
Central Avenue and Park Avenue are the deadliest East Orange roads, with 2 deaths each in 2023 and 2024. Central Avenue is also the street for pedestrian risk: 30 pedestrian accidents in two years, while the highways had none.
For the whole highway, see Garden State Parkway accident data. If you crashed on I-280, the order of lane changes matters more than the spot: our I-280 East Orange lane and merge guide covers what to write down.
Which East Orange intersections have the most injury accidents?
Central Avenue at Grove Street, with 13 accidents where someone was hurt in 2024 and 2025, followed by Freeway Drive East at Hulsted Street with 12.
Six of the 18 intersections with 5 or more such accidents are on Central Avenue, and six on the Freeway Drive service roads beside I-280. Across the city, those two roads hold 77 and 74 of 405 intersection injury accidents.
See the full table
| Intersection | Someone hurt or killed | All accidents | Pedestrian accidents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Avenue (Route 508) at Grove Street (Route 509) | 13 | 25 | 1 |
| Freeway Drive East at Hulsted Street | 12 | 19 | 1 |
| Central Avenue (Route 508) at South Munn Avenue | 10 | 21 | 4 |
| Freeway Drive East at South Harrison Street | 10 | 20 | 10 |
| North Grove Street (Route 509) at Rutledge Avenue | 8 | 20 | 0 |
| Park Avenue (Essex County 658) at North 15th Street | 7 | 23 | 3 |
All 18 intersections with 5 or more injury accidents
| Intersection | Someone hurt or killed, 2024 + 2025 | Of which 2024 | Of which 2025 | All accidents | Pedestrian accidents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Avenue (Route 508) at Grove Street (Route 509) | 13 | 6 | 7 | 25 | 1 |
| Freeway Drive East at Hulsted Street | 12 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 1 |
| Central Avenue (Route 508) at South Munn Avenue | 10 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 4 |
| Freeway Drive East at South Harrison Street | 10 | 4 | 6 | 20 | 10 |
| North Grove Street (Route 509) at Rutledge Avenue | 8 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 0 |
| Park Avenue (Essex County 658) at North 15th Street | 7 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 3 |
| Freeway Drive West at South Harrison Street | 6 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 1 |
| Hollywood Avenue at Central Avenue (Route 508) | 6 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 1 |
| Grove Street (Route 509) at Sussex Avenue | 6 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 1 |
| Central Avenue (Route 508) at South Harrison Street | 6 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 3 |
| Central Avenue (Route 508) at Sanford Street (Essex County 605) | 6 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 3 |
| Freeway Drive East at South Clinton Street | 6 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
| Freeway Drive West at South Clinton Street | 5 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 0 |
| North Maple Avenue at Springdale Avenue | 5 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 0 |
| Central Avenue (Route 508) at Oraton Parkway (also recorded as South Oraton Parkway) | 5 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 0 |
| North Grove Street (Route 509) at William Street | 5 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 1 |
| Dodd Street at Glenwood Avenue | 5 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| Freeway Drive East at South Arlington Avenue | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
Freeway Drive East at South Harrison Street stands apart: 10 of its 20 accidents involved a pedestrian. No one was killed at any of these intersections. The statewide top 25 are on New Jersey intersections with the most injury accidents.
What kinds of car accidents happen in East Orange?
Rear end collisions lead, at 36.7 percent of injury accidents in 2023 and 2024, against 26.2 percent in Essex County and 30.7 percent statewide.
See the full table
| Collision type (police code) | East Orange count | East Orange share | Essex County share | Statewide share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Same direction, rear end | 309 | 36.7% | 26.2% | 30.7% |
| Right angle | 166 | 19.7% | 23.1% | 22.4% |
| Pedestrian | 92 | 10.9% | 12.2% | 6.6% |
| Same direction, side swipe | 78 | 9.3% | 10.3% | 8.5% |
| Fixed object | 61 | 7.3% | 7.1% | 11.6% |
| Left turn or U turn | 40 | 4.8% | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Struck parked vehicle | 38 | 4.5% | 5.2% | 3.4% |
| Bicycle | 26 | 3.1% | 4.0% | 3.8% |
Pedestrians are the other standout: 154 pedestrian accidents in 2023 and 2024, and 5 of the 8 people killed were on foot.
When do car accidents happen in East Orange?
Most often from 3 pm to 6 pm, with 20.3 percent of injury accidents in 2023 and 2024. Late evening is busier than the state norm: 12.1 percent fall between 9 pm and midnight, against 8.8 percent statewide.
See the full table
| Time window | East Orange count | East Orange share | Statewide share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight to 3 am | 38 | 4.5% | 4.2% |
| 3 am to 6 am | 37 | 4.4% | 3.4% |
| 6 am to 9 am | 110 | 13.1% | 13.0% |
| 9 am to noon | 103 | 12.2% | 13.3% |
| Noon to 3 pm | 146 | 17.4% | 18.1% |
| 3 pm to 6 pm | 171 | 20.3% | 23.7% |
| 6 pm to 9 pm | 134 | 15.9% | 15.4% |
| 9 pm to midnight | 102 | 12.1% | 8.8% |
December had the most such accidents (101 over the two years) and February the fewest (38). Most happened in daylight (63 percent), yet 6 of the 8 people killed died in accidents recorded as dark.
Statewide hour-by-hour detail is on when car accidents happen in New Jersey.
How do I get a police report after an East Orange crash?
Ask the agency that investigated. Local street records almost never name a State Police station, while most 2025 records on I-280 and the Parkway do.
| Road | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-280 | 103 of 249 | 216 of 310 | 243 of 264 |
| Garden State Parkway | 2 of 387 | 15 of 403 | 259 of 421 |
| All other roads | 0 of 1,590 | 1 of 1,709 | 5 of 1,755 |
Can I get an East Orange police report online?
No. The East Orange Police Records Bureau takes requests in person or, in certain cases, by mail, and a fee applies.
The Records Division is at 15 South Munn Avenue, open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4 pm. It takes no phone or email requests; questions go to 973-266-5010.7
How do I get a State Police report for I-280 or the Parkway?
Online, through the NJSP crash reports portal at njportal.com. Named I-280 records mostly point to the Totowa station, and Parkway records mostly to Bloomfield.8
Fees, how long reports stay available and fatal crash reports are covered in how to get your New Jersey accident report.
What should you do after an accident in East Orange?
Get medical care, report the crash, then pick the guide for your next question:
- Coverage: what New Jersey PIP covers and whether PIP or health insurance pays first.
- Treatment records: medical records for a New Jersey injury claim.
- Uninsured driver: uninsured and underinsured motorist claims.
- Blamed in part: how partial fault works in New Jersey.
- Pain and suffering: New Jersey verbal threshold rulings.
Nearby: Newark crash data, Irvington crash data, accident help in Orange, West Orange motorcycle accidents, Essex County truck accidents and the New Jersey accident guide.
Quick answers about East Orange
Is East Orange a dangerous place to drive?
For people on foot, more than most of New Jersey. Pedestrian accidents were 10.9 percent of East Orange injury accidents in 2023 and 2024, against 6.6 percent statewide.
How long do you have to report an accident in NJ?
Tell the police right away if someone is hurt or damage tops $500. If no officer files a report, send one to the Motor Vehicle Commission within 10 days. See New Jersey accident reports, agency by agency.
How do I report an accident without a police report?
Use New Jersey's SR-1 self-reporting form when police did not investigate. Our accident report guide explains how it works.
What these numbers can and cannot tell you
The counts on this page are police-reported car accidents from NJDOT crash records, analyzed by us. They show where and when accidents where someone was hurt happened in East Orange. They do not show who was at fault in any accident, and they say nothing about whether you have a claim or what it could be worth.
Rules that apply anywhere in New Jersey
- Your own auto policy's PIP pays eligible medical expenses "no matter who caused the auto accident," up to your policy's limit and after its deductible and co-pay. If you chose your health insurance as primary, it pays first and PIP pays second. A claim against the other driver for pain and suffering is separate: it depends on fault and on the lawsuit option on your policy. 9
- Being partly at fault does not stop you from recovering, as long as your share is not greater than the other driver's, or the combined share of all the drivers you claim against (the "51 percent" rule). Your damages are reduced by your share. 10
- If someone is hurt or killed, or property damage to any one person is over $500, the driver must tell the police right away and send a written report to the Motor Vehicle Commission within 10 days, unless a police officer files one. If police did not investigate, New Jersey's SR-1 self-reporting form is the form for that. 11
- An injury lawsuit generally must be filed within two years, and a claim against a public body (a town, the state, NJ Transit) needs a written notice within 90 days. These are general rules with exceptions; check your own dates with a lawyer. 12
Next steps: how to get your New Jersey accident report, agency by agency, and how New Jersey no-fault (PIP) insurance works after an accident. This is general information, not legal advice.
Hurt in a car accident in East Orange? Take the 30-second New Jersey quiz to see if a lawyer's office may review your claim for free.
Start the New Jersey accident quiz
Advertisement. Opens the New Jersey questionnaire. Review its policies and contact consent before submitting your details. No legal advice or guarantee of acceptance or compensation.
Sources
- NJDOT crash records 2023 to 2025 as normalized by the open-source hudcostreets/nj-crashes project, fatal accidents supplemented from NJ State Police fatal crash statistics, retrieved 2026-11-10; our analysis. New Jersey has 564 municipalities (NJ.gov Fast Facts).
- NJDOT crash records via nj-crashes, NJSP fatal supplement; our count.
- NJDOT crash records via nj-crashes, 2023 and 2024; our count.
- NJDOT crash records via nj-crashes, 2024 and 2025; our count of accidents police flagged as at an intersection.
- NJDOT crash records via nj-crashes, NJSP fatal supplement, 2023 and 2024; our count by the recorded accident time.
- NJDOT crash records via nj-crashes, 2023 to 2025; our count of records with a State Police station filled in.
- City of East Orange, Police Department, Records Bureau, retrieved 2026-11-10.
- New Jersey State Police and NJ Turnpike Authority crash reports portal, retrieved 2026-11-10.
- NJ DOBI Auto Insurance Buyer's Guide 2026, pp. 2, 6; DOBI health insurance as primary
- N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1; NJ DOBI comparative negligence FAQ
- N.J.S.A. 39:4-130; NJDOT self-reporting crash form
- N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2; N.J.S.A. 59:8-8
How we counted
- Records: every NJDOT crash record assigned to East Orange City, Essex County, 2023 to 2025, normalized by nj-crashes, deaths supplemented from State Police fatal statistics.
- 2023 and 2024 are complete; 2025 is preliminary. The 2023 file has a lower injury share (14.6 percent, against 21.3 percent in 2024).
- The Parkway and I-280 are selected by route number (444 and 280); other roads and intersections combine every recorded spelling. Intersection ties are listed by all accidents.
- The State Police station field shows which agency records tend to name, not who handled any one accident.
- These are counts, not risk rates: we have no traffic volumes.