Texas Cheerleader Dies After Sledding Crash Kills Best Friend

A 16-year-old Texas cheerleader died Tuesday from injuries sustained in a sledding accident during a rare winter storm, just days after her best friend perished in the same crash. Grace Brito, a sophomore at Wakeland High School in Frisco, succumbed at a local hospital after being taken off life support, according to her family and Frisco police. The incident occurred Sunday afternoon near Majestic Gardens Drive and Killian Court, when Brito and Elizabeth Angle, also 16, were riding a sled hitched to the back of a Jeep Wrangler driven by another 16-year-old boy.

Police reports indicate the vehicle was traveling at high speed on icy roads when it made a sharp turn, causing the sled to strike a curb and collide with a tree around 2:30 p.m. Witnesses described hearing the girls scream as the Jeep accelerated before rounding the corner. First responders found both teens with life-threatening injuries and provided immediate aid before transporting them to hospitals. Angle, a junior varsity soccer player for Wakeland High and a member of the FC Dallas 2009G club team, was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Brito remained in critical condition until her death.