Teen Who Died in Novato Crash Had Been Paralyzed in Diving Accident

The driver of the solo vehicle Sunday evening has been identified as Danny Cox, a 19-year-old Petaluma teen who received an outpouring of support following a diving accident last August in Lake Tahoe that left him paralyzed.

Sunday's accident occurred at 5:30 p.m. north of on the northern edge of Novato, according to the California Highway Patrol. The 2005 Dodge Magnum that Cox was driving struck an oak tree after the car veered off the road for an unknown reason. The car came to rest about 10 feet from the highway in a ditch.

CHP said the car was not speeding and that there were no skid marks on the highway.

Cox graduated from Petaluma High School last year where he was a track athlete and was on a trip to Lake Tahoe when a diving accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. He had received stem cell transplants and physical therapy and had made some progress, according to his mom, Maureen McGowan.

But he also struggled with being confined to a wheelchair and had feelings of despair, McGowan said. He had also recently received his new drivers license so he could get to his physical therapy appointments.

A benefit event had been scheduled for Cox on Sept. 9 at Rooster Run Golf Course to raise money for his ongoing care.

For more information about Danny Cox, here is the link to the website that was set up after his diving accident.