Danny Lineweaver, 11; Crib Accident as Toddler Led to Reforms

Danny Lineweaver, whose crib accident when he was 23 months old helped lead to improved product safety standards, has died. He was 11.

Danny died Sunday of pneumonia and colisepsis following nine years of therapy stemming from the accident, said his father, John Lineweaver.

The boy suffered brain damage and was left paralyzed when his shirt caught on the corner post knob of his crib and nearly choked him to death.

John and Danny’s mother, Rose Lineweaver, formed the nonprofit Danny Foundation two years later. The group filed a petition with the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, and new standards for cribs were established in 1990.

After Danny’s accident, the couple found that more than 40 children had died since 1973 in similar accidents.

In addition to his parents, Danny is survived by one sister and 11 brothers.