No deadly crashes in this Florida county in 2023, according to FHP data

FHP: Don't stop to smell wildflowers

The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is warning drivers not to stop along Florida's Turnpike to smell wildflowers or to take photos of the flora.

One Florida county recorded zero deadly crashes in 2023 amid the state's total crash count of over 383,000, according to data from Florida Highway Patrol.

Lafayette County, located in North Florida, didn't have a deadly crash in 2023, FHP said in its annual crash report, which has tracked crashes investigated by law enforcement, including car, bicycle, motorcycle and pedestrian incidents since 2018. The most recent report includes data from crashes that occurred between Jan. 1, 2023 and Dec. 28, 2023.

Lafayette County, which has a population of over 8,000, had 49 crashes for the entirety of the year, resulting in 54 total injuries.

In 2022, there were three deadly crashes in Lafayette County. Another county – Liberty County – recorded none in the same year.

On the flip side, Miami-Dade County is considered the deadliest county in the state when it comes to crashes in 2023, data shows. In 2023, 328 people were killed in crashes – and there were nearly 62,000 crashes total.

In Central Florida, the deadliest county for car crashes is Orange, recording 151 fatalities last year. That's a nearly 25% decrease from 2022, when 201 people were killed in crashes, data shows.

Flagler County had the least number of deadly crashes, with 22 in 2023.

In total, there were over 83,000 crashes in Central Florida in 2023, FHP data shows. That includes the following counties: Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia. That's a nearly 4% decrease from 2022.