Debra Newby, left, and two others stand by a makeshift memorial, Monday, Jan 26, 2026, in Frisco, Texas, where over the weekend a 16-year-old female lost her life in a sledding accident that critically injured another. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The sledding crash that first left one Texas teen dead and her best friend clinging to life has now claimed both girls, turning a story of desperate hope into a double tragedy for their families and community. The teen initially identified as the victim, 16-year-old Elizabeth Angle, died shortly after the accident, while her friend Grace “Gracie” Brito was placed on life support before her parents made the agonizing decision to let her go. What began as a winter thrill on a quiet Frisco street has become a painful lesson in how quickly a familiar neighborhood can turn dangerous.
As details have emerged, the focus has shifted from the mechanics of the crash to the lives behind the headlines, and to the way classmates, neighbors, and city leaders are trying to carry the girls’ memory forward. The headline that once described a friend still fighting for her life no longer fits the reality on the ground, where two families are planning funerals instead of hospital visits.
The crash that shattered a neighborhood
Investigators say the accident unfolded on a residential road in Frisco, where a 16-year-old boy was driving a Jeep while pulling the two girls on a sled behind him. The vehicle was moving near Majestic Gardens Drive and a nearby intersection when the sled slammed into a tree, leaving both teens with life-threatening injuries before they were rushed to a local hospital. Police later confirmed that the driver, also 16, stayed at the scene and cooperated with officers as they tried to piece together exactly how a snow-day stunt turned fatal.
Authorities initially released only limited information, saying two 16-year-old females had been critically hurt while sledding, with one pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital and the other placed on life support. That early description of a “teen who died” and a “friend on life support” came from the Frisco police and was echoed as the community waited for updates. A later statement from the Frisco Police Department (FPD) confirmed the same basic outline of the crash, underscoring that the girls’ injuries were consistent with a high-impact collision while being pulled on a sled by a moving vehicle, according to the Frisco Police Department.
From one loss to two, and a city in mourning
Within days, the families chose to publicly identify the girls as Elizabeth Angle and Grace “Gracie” Brito, both 16-year-old students at Wakeland High School. Elizabeth’s relatives spoke first, confirming through local coverage that she was the teen initially killed in the crash and sharing that she came from the Angle family in Frisco. As word spread, friends described Elizabeth as bright and driven, a teenager who balanced school with a tight-knit social circle that included Gracie. City leaders later noted that a Texas city was mourning not just one promising life cut short but a pair of best friends whose story resonated across North Texas.
For a brief window, there was hope that Gracie might survive. She remained in critical condition, on life support, while relatives and friends gathered at the hospital and online to pray for a turnaround. Police had previously confirmed that the two 16-year-old females suffered life-threatening injuries, and later reports noted that Gracie’s family ultimately decided to allow her to be an organ donor, according to police. By the time officials updated the public, the second death was no longer a possibility but a fact, with a second 16-year-old girl confirmed dead from injuries sustained in the Frisco sledding crash, as reflected in a public statement.
Best friends, “together forever,” and a wider warning
Those who knew the girls say the most haunting detail is how inseparable they were, right up to the moment of impact. Relatives recalled that the teens were “holding on to each other” as the sled was pulled, a small snapshot that has come to symbolize their bond in the days since, according to accounts that described the teen dies, friend narrative. Loved ones have said they take some comfort in believing the girls are “together forever,” a phrase that has echoed through tributes and social media posts as the community tries to make sense of the loss, reflected in coverage that framed the story as NEED KNOW for grieving classmates. At vigils and informal gatherings, friends have shared photos of Elizabeth and Gracie laughing at school events, underscoring that this was not just a freak accident but the abrupt end of a friendship that had shaped their teenage years.
Frisco officials and school leaders have tried to respond quickly, both to honor the girls and to support those left behind. A second Frisco teen death in the same crash prompted local coverage that described how counselors would be available to support students, with one report noting that Grace “Gracie” Brito’s name was included as part of a broader message to the community, according to a segment introduced By Katy Blakey. Another update, credited By NBCDFW Staff, emphasized that the district was coordinating with the city to help students process the deaths. City leaders described how a Texas city is mourning the loss of two teen best friends and acknowledged in a statement that the grief would not fade quickly, a sentiment captured in a report that noted the community’s reaction in a Texas context.
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