The kind of winter day that usually means hot chocolate and snow selfies instead turned into a nightmare in Texas, where a teen cheerleader and her high‑achieving soccer‑player best friend were killed in a sledding crash during a rare deep freeze. Their deaths have become some of the most heartbreaking faces of a winter storm that has already claimed more than 60 lives across the country. In a community that is used to Friday night lights, not blizzards, families are now planning funerals and asking how a simple ride behind a Jeep could go so catastrophically wrong.
Sixteen‑year‑old Elizabeth Angle and 16‑year‑old Grace Brito were inseparable, teammates in spirit even when they were not on the same field. Friends say they were holding on to each other when the sled slammed into a tree, a detail that has stuck with people in Frisco and far beyond as the storm’s death toll keeps rising. Their story is not just about one freak accident, but about how quickly fun can turn fatal when extreme weather hits a place that is not built for it.
The crash that shattered a neighborhood
On a frozen Sunday in Frisco, Texas, the girls joined a group of teens trying to squeeze some joy out of the rare snow, climbing onto a sled that was being pulled behind a Jeep. According to investigators, the sled whipped into a curb during a sharp turn, then careened into a tree with a force that instantly turned a backyard thrill into a life‑and‑death emergency. The impact left Elizabeth Angle, a sophomore at Wakeland High School, fatally injured, and her best friend critically hurt as stunned classmates watched first responders race to the scene.
Police in Frisco later confirmed that both teenagers had been riding together when the sled hit the curb and then the tree, echoing what Angle’s mother would describe as a freak accident that unfolded in seconds. The Brief on the crash noted that Elizabeth Angle died that Sunday after the sled being towed by the Jeep struck the curb and collided with the tree, while friends say the girls had been laughing and filming videos just minutes earlier. During the sharp turn that sent the sled out of control, the curb became an unforgiving launch point, turning what looked like a harmless hack for more speed into a deadly miscalculation.
Who Elizabeth and Grace were before the headlines
Before their names were attached to a tragedy, both girls were known for what they did on the field and on the sidelines. Elizabeth Angle was described as a rising soccer standout, a 16‑year‑old sophomore at Wakeland High School who had already made a name for herself as a fierce competitor and loyal teammate. Reporting by Caitlin McCormack noted that the high school soccer standout was identified as the 16‑year‑old girl killed in the sledding accident during a rare winter storm in Texas, with coaches recalling how she chased every loose ball like it was a championship point. Friends say she balanced that intensity with a goofy side that showed up in TikToks and sideline jokes, the kind of personality that pulls a team together.
Her best friend, Grace Brito, brought her own kind of energy as a beloved member of the Express Cheer community, where she was known for big stunts and an even bigger smile. Teammates described the 16‑year‑old Texas cheerleader as the one who hyped everyone up before competitions and checked in afterward if a routine did not go as planned. A tribute from Express Cheer called her “our beautiful daughter, Gracie,” a phrase that captured how deeply she was woven into that gym’s extended family. Together, the soccer player and the cheerleader were the kind of best friends who filled each other’s Instagram grids, a pairing that felt like it would last long past high school.
From one death to two, and a family’s impossible choice
In the hours after the crash, the focus was on trying to save both girls, but the damage was already devastating. Grace Brito and Elizabeth Angle, both 16, were rushed from the scene in Frisco, Texas, after the Sunday crash, with doctors quickly realizing that Elizabeth’s injuries were not survivable. Her family, including her mother Megan Taylor Angle, shared that the girls had been holding on to each other on the sled, a detail that has become a kind of shorthand for their bond. The Brief on the accident confirmed that The Brief described how the sled being towed by the Jeep struck the curb and collided with the tree, leaving Elizabeth’s family to say goodbye far sooner than anyone imagined.
For Grace’s parents, the nightmare stretched on for days as she remained hospitalized in critical condition. According to reporting by Richard Pollina, the 16‑year‑old Texas cheerleader was eventually taken off life support after it became clear she would not recover from her injuries. Another account noted that During the sharp turn, the sled slammed against the curb and careened into the tree, and that Grace Brito died on Tuesday from the trauma she suffered in the crash. Her death turned a single loss into a double tragedy, leaving two sets of parents and two circles of teammates to navigate grief that feels almost too big for words.
A city in mourning, from the school hallways to the cheer gym
In Frisco, the ripple effects have been immediate and raw, with classmates, teachers, and neighbors trying to process how two healthy, high‑achieving teenagers could be gone after one afternoon in the snow. The community of Frisco has held vigils and set up memorials near Wakeland High School, where students have covered fences with flowers, soccer scarves, and handwritten notes to Elizabeth and Grace. School leaders have emphasized that counseling will be available for students and staff, with one message stressing that “our entire campus community is impacted by this tragedy,” a line that captured how far beyond one friend group the grief has spread. Also, administrators have reminded families that no arrests have been made, underscoring that this was a horrific accident rather than a crime.
Inside the cheer gym, the loss feels just as heavy. Coaches at Express Cheer have described Grace as a “beloved member” of their community, someone whose energy lifted younger athletes and steadied nervous teammates before big routines. A local report by By Katy Blakey noted that the city is mourning two teens at once, with friends of Elizabeth Angle and Grace Brito sharing stories of carpools, late‑night talks, and shared playlists that now feel like artifacts from another life. Updated tributes have kept coming as people learn more about the girls, and while nothing about this is neat or comforting, the sheer volume of memories being shared has turned their short lives into something larger than a single headline.
Storm Fern, a rising death toll, and the hidden risks of “fun” hacks
The sledding crash did not happen in a vacuum, it unfolded in the middle of Storm Fern, a brutal winter system that has hammered Storm Fern across Texas and much of the country. In Texas alone, at least 9 people, mostly children, have died as the winter storm gripped the state, according to Texas Standard, with causes ranging from car crashes on icy roads to exposure and incidents like the sledding collision with a tree on Sunday. Nationally, the winter storm death toll has passed 60, a figure echoed in another report that put the number at 60 nationwide, with victims including three brothers and others caught in house fires, carbon monoxide poisoning, and heart attacks while shoveling.
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