Jaxxlyn “Jaxx” Cowley was tragically killed on July 27, 2024, a month before her 17th birthday. She and some friends had attended a house party on the night of July 26, 2024, where drinking had taken place. Having only met the 34-year-old male driver a few hours earlier, Jaxx, a 24-year-old male, and another 16-year-old girlfriend decided to go for a drive on Airport Road.
The driver was impaired at almost three times the legal limit with a .137 blood-alcohol level. Driving at a speed of 112 mph while drifting from one lane of traffic to the other, he crashed into a ravine, flipping the car on its side, passenger-side down. The car caught fire. Jaxx’s girlfriend and the driver were able to crawl out of the car, where she found the driver’s phone and called 911.
The 24-year-old male passenger was killed on impact, but Jaxx was trapped in the car, screaming for help but unable to move, while the others escaped. Imagine Jaxx feeling the heat of the fire, fear, pain, desperation, a feeling of helplessness, and the horror of knowing you were not going to be able to escape and that no one could help you, even though an officer injured himself while trying to save you.
Our family, friends, community, and friends of Jaxx have been emotionally traumatized by this horrific crash that was senseless, inexcusable, and completely avoidable. The way she died is incomprehensible and disturbing. This image haunts us. It wakes us up at night screaming and crying uncontrollably. There are signs, sounds, scents, pictures, and events that we would normally associate with happiness and joy that now trigger anxiety, uneasiness, panic, sadness, and oftentimes anger.
She was an intelligent and beautiful young woman. She had plans and aspirations of finishing high school, going to college to pursue a veterinary degree, continuing to barrel race, and eventually hoped to marry and have children of her own. These were our aspirations for her as well, and we were looking forward to those times.
She said, “Dad, I want you to be here to walk me down the aisle and for you and Mom to see your grandkids.” We never thought that she would be the one who would not be here to fulfill those wishes.
Word of this crash spread quickly, and immediately, there was a memorial set up at the crash site for the 24-year-old male and Jaxx. This memorial has been a healing place for us and for many of their friends to sit and reflect on memories and what could have been. Family and friends are constantly putting new mementos there and visit regularly.
