Daniel Mark Cox, a 31-year-old man from Lake Wylie, South Carolina, died on December 19, 2016, after a single-vehicle crash on Museum Road in York County, north of Rock Hill.
Authorities said the vehicle left the roadway and overturned during the early-morning crash. Cox was pronounced dead at the scene, according to contemporaneous local news reports citing the York County Coroner’s Office and law enforcement.
Cox’s death was also recorded in an obituary published by The Herald. The notice remembered him as a devoted father, son, brother and friend who was known for his infectious smile and laughter.
What Happened in the December 19, 2016, Crash?
The crash occurred at approximately 1:10 a.m. on Museum Road, about three miles north of Rock Hill, according to WBTV’s report published on December 19, 2016.
Investigators said Cox’s vehicle ran off the right side of the road and entered a ditch before overturning. Another report by WSOC-TV stated that the vehicle subsequently struck trees.
The York County Coroner’s Office identified the driver as Daniel Cox, 31, of Lake Wylie, and confirmed that he died at the scene.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol investigated the crash. The reports reviewed did not establish a broader explanation for why the vehicle left the road, so the circumstances should not be described more definitively than the available evidence supports.
Who Was Daniel Mark Cox?
Cox was a native of Rock Hill and lived in Lake Wylie at the time of his death. His obituary, published in December 2016, described him as a loving father, son, brother and friend.
Friends and relatives remembered him for his personality, smile and enthusiasm. In the obituary and condolences published afterward, people also recalled his involvement in baseball and his relationships with teammates, coaches and members of the local community.
He was known to many by the nickname “Small Fry,” according to his obituary.
Cox worked at Carolina Electrical Supply in Rock Hill. He also served as an umpire for the Palmetto Collegiate Association and local high school leagues, roles that connected him with the area’s baseball community.
Family and Loved Ones
Cox was survived by his wife, Mary Kayla Simpson Cox, and their two children, Caroline Taylor Cox and Greyson Mark Cox, according to the obituary published by The Herald.
The notice also listed his father, John B. “Red” Cox; his mother, Susan Little Gatlin, and stepfather, Kenneth Gatlin; his brothers, Ryan Tate Cox and Andrew Cody Gatlin; and his sisters, Morgan Gatlin Haynie and Nicolette Gatlin Stokholm.
The family and friends who left condolences in the obituary guestbook described their sadness at his passing and recalled his energy, warmth and involvement in baseball.
Their messages reflected the impact he had on people who knew him through family life, school, church and sports.
Funeral Arrangements and Memorial Donations
Cox’s funeral service was scheduled for Wednesday, December 21, 2016, at 2 p.m. at Harvest Baptist Church, located at 153 Miller Pond Road in Rock Hill. Dr. Marshall Fant was listed as the officiant.
The obituary stated that burial would be private and that the family would receive friends following the service at the church.
Memorial donations were suggested for the Chrysalis Autism Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and the STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder in Greenwood Village, Colorado. These details were included in the original published obituary.
Remembering Daniel Cox
Daniel Mark Cox died at 31 in a crash on Museum Road in York County on December 19, 2016. In the years since his death, the obituary and messages from loved ones have preserved memories of a man whose life was closely connected to his family and the local baseball community.
The published tributes emphasized his smile, enthusiasm and the relationships he built with friends, relatives, teammates and fellow members of the community.
His obituary remains a record of his life and of the people who remembered him after his death.
Editorial Disclaimer: This article is based on Cox’s published obituary and local news reports from December 2016. Authorities reported that his vehicle left the roadway and overturned. This article does not speculate about the cause of the crash beyond the details attributed to those reports.