Texas Soccer Star, 16, KILLED in Freak Sledding Accident as Winter Storm Claims 35 Lives Nationwide
"God Called Her Home": Community Mourns Elizabeth Angle After Sled Crashes Into Tree
Elizabeth Angle, a 16 year old soccer standout at Wakeland High School in Frisco, Texas, died Sunday after the sled she was riding crashed into a tree during Winter Storm Fern.
The incident occurred just before 2:30 p.m. in a residential area of Frisco, a suburb north of Dallas. Police say a 16 year old boy was driving a Jeep Wrangler while towing Angle and another 16 year old girl on a sled.
Witnesses reported that the sled struck a curb during a sharp turn and then collided with a tree. Both girls were transported to local hospitals with life threatening injuries. Angle died at the hospital, while her best friend remained in critical condition.
The Frisco Police Department continued investigating Tuesday. No arrests have been announced.
Coach: "God Called Her Home in Victory"
Angle's mother, Megan Angle, described her daughter as "a bright light, a fun spirit, a brave soul" who just received her driver's license.
"We loved her so much. She just got a car and a license and had her whole life ahead of her. It was all taken away so abruptly," she wrote on Facebook. "We will never be the same and never forget how much love she brought to our family. Please lift her up in prayer."
Luis Ramos, coach of Angle's FC Dallas club team, called her the team's "calm voice" and a resilient defender who had overcome a broken ankle earlier in her time with the team.
"She knew what it meant to stand her ground. To take the hit. To protect what mattered," Ramos wrote Monday. "We believe this: God called her home not in defeat, but in victory. Still guarding. Still strong. Now standing watch from a higher ground."
Cook Children's Health Care System reported treating at least 52 children for sledding related injuries over the weekend, with patients as young as 2 suffering broken bones, head trauma and internal lacerations.
"This is not snow that we have here in Texas; this is ice," warned Dr. Taylor Louden. "When kids hit their head on ice, it can cause catastrophic injuries."
Winter Storm Fern contributed to at least 35 deaths nationwide.
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
Elizabeth's mother asks for prayer. Her coach declares God's sovereignty. This family trusts Christ even in devastation.
That's faith that endures when everything else collapses.
Pray for her best friend in critical condition. Pray for Elizabeth's family. Pray for every parent who let kids sled this weekend and now lives with "what if."
Life is fleeting. Elizabeth knew Christ. She stands guard now from higher ground.
Pray for them all.
TAKE ACTION
Support the Family:
- Megan Angle's Facebook: facebook.com/megan.t.angle
- Leave prayers and encouragement
Pray:
- For Elizabeth's best friend in critical condition
- For the Angle family's peace and strength
- For the teenage driver processing trauma
Learn Sledding Safety:
- Cook Children's Safety Guidelines: cookchildrens.org
- Always wear helmets
- Never tow sleds behind vehicles
- Avoid streets and obstacles
Support Winter Storm Relief:
- Local churches providing shelter and aid
- Check your community for ways to help storm victims
Hug your children. Teach them winter safety. Pray for families devastated by this storm. Elizabeth's faith endures. Her family's trust in God's sovereignty stands as witness even in grief.
