Girl on Sled Pulled by Jeep Dies in Crash

A winter weather outing in a North Texas neighborhood ended in tragedy over the weekend, leaving one high school student dead and another critically injured.

Frisco police say a 16-year-old boy was driving a Jeep on Sunday while towing two 16-year-old girls on a sled. The sled struck a curb and then crashed into a tree. Doorbell video obtained by NBC 5 appears to show the teens being pulled by the vehicle moments before the accident.

Both girls were taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to FOX 4. One of them, identified by family members as Wakeland High School sophomore Elizabeth Angle, later died. The second girl, described by Angle’s mother as her daughter’s best friend, remains on life support. Denton County prosecutors will determine whether charges are appropriate as the investigation continues.

Elizabeth was a member of Wakeland High School’s girls soccer team and also played for an FC Dallas club team. Her mother said Elizabeth had recently earned her driver’s license and was enjoying the rare icy conditions. In a social media post, she described her daughter as “a bright light, a fun spirit, a brave soul,” writing that the family “will never be the same,” while expressing gratitude that Elizabeth was not alone in her final moments.

A memorial has since grown in the neighborhood as friends, relatives, and neighbors gather to remember her. Frisco schools remain closed due to weather conditions, but the district says it plans to honor Elizabeth when classes resume and will offer counseling and support services to students and staff.

The crash comes as hospitals report an increase in weather-related injuries. Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth says it has treated nearly three dozen children since the weekend for sledding-related injuries, including broken bones and head trauma. Dr. Taylor Louden, the hospital’s emergency services medical chief, warned that icy conditions can make falls especially dangerous, calling head impacts “catastrophic.”

Hospital officials are urging parents to require helmets, avoid sleds pulled by vehicles or makeshift equipment, and keep children away from streets and fixed obstacles while sledding.

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