Car Accidents in Bowling Green, KY: Crash Data and Road Safety
Key crash statistics, high-risk roads, and accident report resources in Warren County, Kentucky.
Interstate 65 traces the eastern edge of the city, carrying a steady stream of travelers between Nashville and Louisville, while I-165 branches north toward Owensboro. Within Bowling Green, certain commercial corridors see the most congestion; Scottsville Road by Greenwood Mall and the US 31W Bypass looping around downtown are particularly busy. The presence of Western Kentucky University adds thousands of students to the mix, and people come from all over South Central Kentucky for shopping, work, and medical care. The result is that traffic piles up quickly, especially on weekdays.
If a crash does happen in Bowling Green, the specific road where it takes place determines which law enforcement agency will be responsible for writing the report and where you will need to go to obtain a copy.
What to Do After a Crash on a Bowling Green Street
If you find yourself in a crash on a Bowling Green street, it is essential to know how to navigate the aftermath. The Bowling Green Police Department (BGPD) is responsible for handling accidents within the city limits, while the Kentucky State Police (KSP) address incidents on I-65. For areas outside the city, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office takes charge.
If you need a copy of the collision report, BGPD charges $5. You can obtain it from the Central Records Unit located at 911 Kentucky Street during weekday hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Alternatively, reports can be purchased online through BuyCrash or requested by mail. For mail requests, include the report number, the driver’s name, the date and location of the crash, a copy of the driver’s license, the fee, and a stamped return envelope. It typically takes five to eight business days to receive the report after your request.
It is important to understand that Kentucky law (KRS 189.635) restricts access to crash reports primarily to those directly involved in the incident, their parents if they are minors, their insurance companies, and authorized attorneys. News organizations may have limited access under specific circumstances. If your crash involved the Kentucky State Police, you can either request the report through BuyCrash or send a written request to the KSP Records Custodian at 1266 Louisville Road, Frankfort, KY 40601, or via email at [email protected]. The KSP charges 10 cents for each page released, and they must respond to requests within five business days.
In cases where no officer investigates the scene of the crash, it falls to the individuals involved to file a Civilian Collision Report online through the KSP portal. Understanding these procedures can help ensure that you are properly informed and can efficiently manage the aftermath of a vehicle accident.
Not sure which agency holds your report? We can help you find out. Our Kentucky accident resources cover the rest of the state.
Crash Numbers for Bowling Green
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collisions in the city | 3,666 | 2025 | Bowling Green Police Department, reported by WBKO |
| Injuries | 703 | 2025 | Bowling Green Police Department, reported by WBKO |
| Traffic deaths | 8 | 2025 | Bowling Green Police Department, reported by WBKO |
| Collisions, February to July | 1,640 | 2026 | Bowling Green Police Department statistics |
| People injured, February to July | 317 | 2026 | Bowling Green Police Department statistics |
| Traffic deaths, February to July | 3 | 2026 | Bowling Green Police Department statistics |
The 2025 totals are the police department’s year-end figures, and the 2026 figures come from its monthly statistics page. That works out to about 10 collisions per day in 2025. The department’s spokesperson told WBKO that inattention is the primary cause observed.
Bowling Green’s Most Crash-Prone Intersections
Four of the eight intersections on the Bowling Green Police Department’s list of top traffic collision sites are on Scottsville Road. The department publishes the list without counts or a date.
- Scottsville Road by Greenwood Mall. The police list names Scottsville Road at Pascoe Boulevard, at Bryant Way, and in front of Greenwood Mall, plus Scottsville at Three Springs Road and Ken Bale Boulevard. In the regional planning agency’s public survey for its 2045 transportation plan, Scottsville Road drew the most comments of any single road.
- US 31W Bypass. The police list includes the Bypass at Fairview Avenue. In 2023, the state transportation cabinet found the stretch from University Drive to Lehman Avenue had a crash rate nearly three times the state average for similar roads, with more than 18,000 vehicles a day and left-turning traffic causing bottlenecks. An improvement project from Fairview Avenue north toward Park Street runs through fall 2027.
- Campbell Lane. Two of the police department’s top sites: Campbell Lane at Fields Way, and at Russellville Road.
- Veterans Memorial Boulevard at Tomblinson Way. Also on the police department’s list.
Emergency and Trauma Care
According to the Kentucky Hospital Association’s September 2026 trauma system map, Warren County has no designated trauma center at any level. The Medical Center at Bowling Green, 250 Park Street, operates an emergency department but holds no state trauma designation.
The nearest designated center is T.J. Samson Community Hospital in Glasgow, a Level IV. The nearest Level I centers are in Nashville, about 60 miles south: Vanderbilt University Hospital, which Vanderbilt describes as the only nationally verified Level I adult trauma center in Middle Tennessee, and TriStar Skyline Medical Center, which Tennessee designates as a Level I. Kentucky’s closest Level I is UofL Hospital in Louisville, about 110 miles north.
Questions About Crashes in Bowling Green
Which Bowling Green intersections have the most crashes?
The Bowling Green Police Department lists eight top collision sites, four of them on Scottsville Road: at Pascoe Boulevard, at Bryant Way, at Three Springs Road and in front of Greenwood Mall. The list also includes the US 31W Bypass at Fairview Avenue and two intersections on Campbell Lane.
How many collisions happen in Bowling Green each year?
Bowling Green police recorded 3,666 collisions in the city in 2025, with 703 injuries and eight deaths, according to the department’s year-end figures. From February to July 2026, the department logged 1,640 collisions, 317 people injured and three deaths.
Does Bowling Green have a trauma center?
No hospital in Warren County has a trauma designation, as per the Kentucky Hospital Association’s September 2026 map. The closest Level I trauma centers are located in Nashville, approximately 60 miles to the south: Vanderbilt University Hospital and TriStar Skyline Medical Center. The nearest designated trauma center is T.J. Samson in Glasgow, which is designated as Level IV.
What if police did not come to my crash in Kentucky?
Kentucky State Police says the people involved are responsible for filing a Civilian Collision Report when no officer investigated at the scene. It is filed online through the Kentucky State Police portal, which issues a report number. If an officer responded and said they will complete a report, no civilian report is needed.
Warren County Accident Reports on Local Accident Reports
Two-Vehicle Crash Injures Motorists on I-65 NB Near Smiths Grove, KY
Two-Vehicle Crash on Smiths Grove Scottsville Rd in Smiths Grove, KY
Two-Vehicle Crash on Veterans Memorial Blvd in Bowling Green, KY
Pedestrian Struck and Injured on Three Springs Rd in Bowling Green, KY
Hit-and-Run Crash Injures Middle Schooler on E-Bike in Bowling Green, KY
At Local Accident Reports, we cover crashes in all fifty states. But that’s not all; we also report the latest crashes county by county, not just state by state. Our goal is to give drivers and other road users reliable, up-to-date crash information for any location they’re interested in.
Here you can find some of the most recent crashes in Warren County, which covers Bowling Green along with Woodburn, Alvaton, and Smiths Grove. Recent city reports include a crash on the US 31W Bypass and a head-on collision on Russellville Road. The full archive is at Warren County accident news.
The problem of high-crash roads extends well beyond Bowling Green. Dangerous roads and intersections across Kentucky continue to be the sites of frequent wrecks, and recent accident alerts track them as they are reported.
Here you can find some of the most recent crashes in San Diego County, which covers the city of San Diego along with Oceanside, Escondido, Vista, Encinitas and Poway, and unincorporated communities such as Spring Valley and Valley Center. The full archive is at San Diego County accident news.
Similar conditions turn up on high-crash roads across California, and recent accident alerts follow new crashes as they are reported.
Local Accident Reports compiles this information from public agency sources and published reports for general reference. It is not legal advice and is not an official police record. Fees, forms and deadlines change, so confirm with the agency before you send a request. Last updated October 2026.