The kind of winter fun that usually fills social feeds with goofy videos turned into a nightmare in North Texas when two 16-year-old girls were killed while sledding behind a Jeep during a brutal cold snap. What started as a quick thrill ride in a Frisco neighborhood ended with a collision that has left families, classmates, and an entire city reeling. The crash is now a painful touchpoint in a winter storm that has already proven deadly for children across the region.
As the community grieves, the details coming into focus show how a string of small choices, mixed with icy streets and a powerful vehicle, created a situation that was far more dangerous than it looked. The story of Grace “Gracie” Brito and Elizabeth Angle is at once deeply personal and a broader warning about how fast winter weather can turn everyday streets into life-threatening terrain.
What Happened On That Frigid Night
According to police in Frisco, Texas, the two teens were riding on a sled that was being towed by a Jeep in a residential area when everything went wrong. Investigators say a 16-year-old boy was driving the Jeep near Majestic Gardens Drive and another neighborhood street when the sled slammed into a curb and then a tree. The impact left both girls with critical injuries, turning a quiet stretch of pavement into the scene of a desperate rescue effort.
Responding officers arrived to find the teens gravely hurt and immediately began lifesaving measures on the street. They were rushed to the hospital with what authorities described as severe trauma and internal organ damage tied to the crash and the harsh weather conditions. City officials later confirmed in an alert that the sledding accident had resulted in a fatality and directed questions to the Public Information Office at 972.2, underscoring how quickly the case moved from a medical emergency to a criminal investigation involving the Denton County District Attorney’s Office.
The Girls Behind The Headlines
Friends and relatives have identified the teens as Grace “Gracie” Brito and Elizabeth Angle, both 16 and both students in Frisco. The two were described as inseparable best friends who spent that Sunday together before the ride that changed everything. One report noted that Grace Brito and Elizabeth Angle were holding on to each other when the sled hit the tree, a detail that has stuck with classmates who saw their friendship as the kind you hope your own kids find.
School leaders in The Frisco district have talked about how deeply the loss is being felt on campus. One administrator, identified as Edge, described both girls as caring and involved students, noting that Gracie was enrolled in AP classes and took part in cheerleading at Wakeland High School. Another report emphasized that The Frisco community is grieving not just two names in a police report but a pair of teenagers who were woven into school life, youth sports, and church groups, with families now planning how to honor them in the weeks ahead.
A Second Death And A Growing Toll
Initially, only one death was confirmed, but within days, the second girl also died from her injuries, turning a single tragedy into a double loss. Local coverage noted that the crash happened in a Frisco neighborhood when the sled being pulled by a Jeep struck a curb and collided with a tree, and that both teens were taken to the hospital, where they later died. Another account described how the second 16-year-old girl succumbed to her injuries after the sled, which was being pulled by a Jeep, hit the curb and tree during an Extreme Cold Warning, a reminder that the weather itself was part of the danger.
Context from regional reporting shows that this was not an isolated incident in the storm. One analysis pointed out that Grace “Gracie” Brito is the fifth North Texas child to die in recent winter weather accidents, and that at least five children in the region have been killed in incidents tied to the same weekend storm. Another report framed the Frisco crash as part of a broader pattern, noting that a second Texas teen has now been confirmed dead in the sledding accident and that her name was made public as of Wednesday morning, adding to a grim tally that has parents across the area rethinking what counts as “safe enough” winter fun.
How The Investigation Is Unfolding
Police have said the driver in the Frisco crash was a 16-year-old boy operating a Jeep Wrangler that was towing the girls on a sled near Majestic Gardens Drive and another cross street. Authorities have not publicly detailed potential charges, but the city’s own alert about the crash notes that the case is being reviewed in coordination with the Frisco Police Department and the Denton County District Attorney’s Office, a sign that prosecutors are weighing how to handle a situation that mixes teenage judgment, a deadly outcome, and a community still in shock.
Officials have also been careful to frame the crash within the larger weather emergency gripping the region. One report highlighted that the crash occurred during an Extreme Cold Warning, with icy roads and limited visibility making even short drives more hazardous. Another account noted that the girls suffered significant trauma and internal organ damage, and that investigators are looking at how speed, road conditions, and the way the sled was attached to the vehicle all factored into the severity of the crash. For now, police say the investigation remains active, with updates expected once the district attorney decides whether to pursue charges.
A Community Grieves And Looks For Lessons
In the days since the crash, the response in Frisco has been raw and visible. Vigils have drawn crowds of classmates, teachers, and neighbors who remember Gracie and Elizabeth as upbeat, involved, and always together. One local report described how By NBCDFW Staff, the second teen’s death was confirmed after she had been on life support, and that both families are now navigating funeral plans and memorials at Wakeland High School. Another piece noted that the girls’ deaths were announced to students and parents with counselors on hand, as the school tried to balance routine with the reality that two desks would now sit empty.
At the same time, city leaders and safety advocates are trying to channel the grief into practical warnings. One summary of the crash pointed out that since last weekend, more than one serious incident has been tied to kids being towed on sleds behind vehicles, and urged parents to rethink that kind of play during severe weather, citing the Jeep crash in Frisco as a stark example. Another report, framed as a national update, folded the story into a broader rundown of winter dangers, with a Fox News Flash segment that mentioned the case alongside other cold-weather emergencies, from a UNIVERSITY of MICHIGAN STUDENT who VANISHES in subzero temperatures to other storm-linked deaths. For families in North Texas, though, the lesson is painfully close to home: what looks like a harmless hack for more speed on the snow can, in the wrong conditions, be as unforgiving as any highway crash.
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