Second teenager killed in horrific Texas sledding accident

A second teenager has died following a horrific sledding accident in Texas which also claimed the life of her best friend. 

Grace Brito, 16, sustained life-ending injuries in the Frisco crash which killed Elizabeth Angle, 16.

She was placed on life support following the collision on Sunday but has tragically succumbed to her wounds.

The teens were riding on a sled being pulled by a 16-year-old boy in a Jeep Wrangler when they struck a curb and violently slammed into a tree, officials said. 

Angle tragically died hours later in hospital. Brito fought for her life for several days before she died on Tuesday. 

The girls' loved ones said they were best friends and Grace's mother Tracy Brito said her family have been left 'heartbroken and devastated' by her passing. 

She said Grace, a star cheerleader, was a 'kind and generous soul, full of love, affection and warmth' who had recently obtained her driver's license.

Her family plan to honor Grace's wishes as an organ donor, reports KTVT. 

Brito added that the teens had been 'inseparable' and were 'always together at each other's house'.

The Frisco Police Department was called to the scene at around 2:30pm to reports of teenagers involved in a sledding accident. 

As the department paid condolences to the girls' families, they said the tragedy 'serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by winter weather conditions'.

'For your safety, please keep in mind that snow and ice can create extremely slippery surfaces and lead to serious or even deadly accidents,' the police department said in a statement. 

'Stay alert, stay indoors when possible, and avoid any unnecessary outdoor activity until conditions improve. Your safety comes first.' 

A witness to the crash, Mark Fischer, told CBS News he saw the Jeep pulling the girls along the road at speed just moments before they struck the tree. 

'I saw a Jeep turning off of one of the streets here when I was walking my dog,' Fischer said. 

'And there were two girls sledding behind the vehicle, being pulled. And the Jeep got accelerated really quickly, and the girls started screaming. I don't know if it was from having fun or what.

'And then I lost sight of them as they kind of came around the corner and that was the last I heard,' Fischer said, adding that he believes the vehicle's speed and icy roads played a factor in the accident.

'From what I saw, the acceleration, especially when it's ice like this... to be going that fast and, you know, a sled can't stop,' he said.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing, and a spokesperson for the department told the Dallas Morning News that the Denton County District Attorney’s Office is establishing if criminal charges will be pursued against the driver of the Jeep. 

Tributes have poured in for the girls following the tragedy, with Luis Ramos, coach of FC Dallas club team, remembering Angle as a 'calm voice' in the team who 'knew what it means to stand her ground'.

'God called her home not in defeat, but in victory. Still guarding. Still strong. Now standing watch from higher ground,' Ramos said in a Facebook post. 

'Elizabeth, our defender. Our teammate. Forever part of us.' 

Angle was a sophomore at Wakeland High School and the school principal Donna Edge said that the 'entire campus community is impacted by this tragedy'. 

'For the friends, teammates, classmates, coaches, teachers, and staff the depth of emotions is immeasurable,' school officials said. 

'During this time of grief, we just ask everyone to remember Wakeland: remember our families, our students, our staff, and our greater Wakeland community.'

Grace's mother said she was an All-Star cheer competitor at Express Cheer in Frisco, and told KTVT she, 'valued teamwork, friendship, and encouragement... She took pride in lifting others up'.

Her family said the days following her passing had been 'unimaginably difficult'.

'We will miss her till the day we die, she is our guardian angel now,' they said in a statement.