A 16-year-old Texas cheerleader has died after a freak sledding accident during a rare winter storm in the Lone Star State, just days after her rising soccer star best friend was killed in the tragedy.
Grace Brito died Tuesday after she and Elizabeth Angle, 16, hitched a sled to the back of another teen’s Jeep for a high-speed ride on Sunday, the Frisco Police Department confirmed on Facebook.
During a sharp turn, the sled slammed against a curb and careened into a tree.
Grace Brito, 16, died Tuesday after a freak sledding accident during a rare winter storm in Texas.Family Handout
The girls were rushed to the hospital, where Angle was pronounced dead. Brito suffered critical injuries in the accident and had been on life support since the crash.
“We are a family of four — myself, my husband, Grace, and Emma,” Brito’s mother, Tracy Brito, said, noting that her other daughter, Emma, is a freshman at Louisiana State University.
“Our family is heartbroken by the loss of our beautiful daughter, Gracie. She was a kind and generous soul, full of warmth, love, and compassion.”
The grieving mother said her daughter and Angle — a Wakeland High School sophomore who played junior varsity soccer in the fall and competed for the FC Dallas 2009G club team in the offseason — were inseparable, longtime best friends.
Brito died days after her rising soccer star best friend, Elizabeth Angle, was killed in the tragedy.Wakeland Girls Soccer
She said her daughter was a devoted cheerleader and All-Star Athlete at Express Dance & Cheer.
“Cheer was her greatest passion,” Tracy Brito told the outlet. “She approached the sport with discipline, dedication, and joy.”
In an emotional statement, Express Dance & Cheer said Brito had “grown up to become a leader,” adding they were “lucky to have had time with her.”
“We will continue to honor Gracie every way we can and look for her in everything we do. Her kindness and optimism will never be forgotten, and we will hold her memory close to our hearts,” the organization told KTVT.
Brito and Angle were inseparable, longtime best friends.@elizabeth.anglee/Instagram
“Our Express family will always have a guardian angel looking over us, and we cling to the fact that Gracie is eternally safe and surrounded by peace.”
Angle’s mother told Fox 4 on Monday that she had only recently gotten her driver’s license and was eager to spend a snowy weekend with her closest friends.
“We will never be the same,” she said.
Investigators said a 16-year-old boy was driving a Jeep Wrangler that was pulling two girls on a sled when it struck a curb and slammed into a tree.
A makeshift memorial for the teens is shown at the site Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Frisco, Texas.AP
A neighbor who witnessed the moments before the crash, Mark Fischer, said the Jeep “accelerated really fast” as the girls screamed before disappearing around a corner.
“On ice like this, to be going that fast, a sled can’t stop,” he told KTVT.
It remains unclear whether the 16-year-old driver will be charged.
Frisco police said the crash is still under investigation, but stressed that no alcohol was involved.
“We also want to clarify rumors circulating online, throughout this entire investigation, there has been no indication of alcohol involvement by any of the involved parties,” the department wrote in its statement Tuesday.
“Please be mindful of sharing unverified information, as it can add unnecessary pain to those grieving.”
News
The first thing I saw was seven riders standing on the ridge above my spring. For a second they looked like part of the mountain itself
Croft’s first shot missed me by less than a foot. I heard it tear through the cottonwood leaves behind my head, and then the valley broke open all at once. Horses screamed. Men shouted. Gunpowder hit the air so fast and sharp it stung the back of my throat. I dove behind the rain barrel […]
The Widow Bought the Deadest Piece of Land in Texas—Then She Dug Deep Enough to Uncover the Secret That Could Save the Whole Town When Evelyn Parker stepped off the wagon and heard the ground crack under her boots
When Evelyn Parker stepped off the wagon and heard the ground crack under her boots, she knew there was no going back. West Texas did not forgive weakness. Not in 1911. Not in a town where the creeks had turned to dust, the wells coughed up mud, and people talked about rain the way church […]
When I Left the Orphanage, They Said I Inherited a Sealed Cave — What I Built Changed Everything
The envelope arrived on my eighteenth birthday.Most people leaving the orphanage got a handshake, a bus ticket, and a quiet reminder not to come back unless they were visiting. I expected the same. Instead, Mrs. Dalton, the director, called me into her office and slid a thick, yellowed envelope across the desk.“It’s been waiting for […]
BREAKING NEWS: The discovery of the last known manner in which Lynette Hooker was being treated at the dam has been officially announced by forensic experts…
The case surrounding the disappearance of Lynette Hooker has reportedly reached a formal conclusion, with authorities indicating that her husband, Brian Hooker, has provided an account that changes how the 사건 is understood. According to emerging reports, Brian has acknowledged actions that contradict his original claim of an accident at sea. However, officials have not […]
URGENT UPDATE: The Lynette Hooker case has reached an official conclusion; Brian Hooker has admitted his motive for throwing his wife into the sea was… 👇👇
The case surrounding the disappearance of Lynette Hooker has reportedly reached a formal conclusion, with authorities indicating that her husband, Brian Hooker, has provided an account that changes how the 사건 is understood. According to emerging reports, Brian has acknowledged actions that contradict his original claim of an accident at sea. However, officials have not […]
Brian described a 2.4-meter dinghy caught in dangerous conditions on the way back to the yacht “Soulmate” — but investigators
The disappearance of Lynette Hooker has taken a dramatic turn following reports that her husband, Brian Hooker, has allegedly confessed to the sequence of events that led to her vanishing at sea. However, while such claims are spreading rapidly, authorities have not officially confirmed a full confession. Investigators are instead focusing on verifying statements, timelines, […]
End of content
No more pages to load
