Teen Who Died in Sledding Accident Identified While Injured Friend Remains on Life Support

Elizabeth Angle is being remembered a kind and outgoing person who was a “calm voice” on her soccer team

Elizabeth Angle.Credit : Elizabeth Angle/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

The teen who died in a sledding crash in Texas on Jan. 25 has been identified by family and loved ones as Elizabeth Angle
Angle, 16, was a high school sophomore and played on multiple local soccer teams
Angle’s mom said her daughter’s friend Grace, who was also on the sled when the crash occurred, is on life support

The teenager who died in a sledding accident in Texas has been identified.

Family and loved ones have identified the teen as 16-year-old Elizabeth Angle. She was a sophomore at Wakeland High School (WHS) and a member of her soccer team, according to FOX affiliate KDFW.

The fatal incident occurred just before 2:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, Jan. 25, in Frisco, according to a news release from the Frisco Police Department (FPD).

Police said two 16-year-old girls were riding on a sled being pulled by a Jeep Wrangler when the sled struck a curb and slammed into a tree. One died at the hospital, while the other remains in critical condition.

Angle’s parents told CBS affiliate WTVT she was a kind and outgoing girl who leaves behind two sisters, ages 12 and 18.

Luis Ramos, coach of FC Dallas club team, said in a Facebook post that Angle was a center back who served as a “calm voice” on the team and “knew what it meant to stand her ground.”

The scene of the crash that killed a teenager in Texas while sledding.NBC DFW/YouTube

“God called her home not in defeat, but in victory. Still guarding. Still strong. Now standing watch from higher ground,” Ramos wrote, in part. “Elizabeth—our defender. Our teammate. Forever part of us.”

WHS’ soccer team also paid tribute to Angle on social media: “Please keep her parents, sisters, teammates and coaches from both school and club, friends, classmates, teachers, and community in your thoughts and prayers during this time of grief,” they wrote on X.

In a letter to Angle’s parents, WHS principal Donna Edge said their daughter “was well-liked by peers and teachers,” adding, “Our entire campus community is impacted by this tragedy,” according to KDFW.

Angle’s parents said their daughter’s friend Grace, the second girl on the sled, is on life support, according to WTVT.

In a statement shared on Facebook, WHS offered thoughts and prayers to the families impacted by the crash. Additional counselors will be available at the school on Wednesday, Jan. 28, for those who need help processing the crash.

“For the friends, teammates, classmates, coaches, teachers, and staff the depth of emotions is immeasurable,” school officials said. They later added, “During this time of grief, we just ask everyone to remember Wakeland: remember our families, our students, our staff, and our greater Wakeland community.”

An investigation into the crash is ongoing. Ryan Thomas, a spokesperson for the FPD, told The Dallas Morning News that the Denton County District Attorney’s Office will determine if criminal charges will be pursued.

The disappearance of 15-year-old Thomas Medlin from Saint James, Long Island, continues to baffle investigators and the public, with the latest reported detail introducing a dramatic shift in focus. Witnesses near the scene told police they heard what sounded like a “collision” during what is now described as a ride involving individuals named Elizabeth Angle and Grace “Gracie” Briton. What has authorities particularly alarmed is the speed of the vehicle involved and startling new elements captured on CCTV footage just moments before or during the critical timeline.

This emerging narrative appears to diverge sharply from the previously established facts of the case. Up until late January 2026, Suffolk County Police emphasized a solitary path: Thomas left the Stony Brook School around 3:30 p.m. on January 9, rushed to the nearby Long Island Rail Road station, traveled to Manhattan (arriving at Grand Central Terminal by about 5:30 p.m., as shown in terminal surveillance), and was last visually confirmed on the pedestrian walkway of the Manhattan Bridge at 7:06 p.m. His cellphone’s final activity pinged at 7:09 p.m., followed by a nearby camera recording a splash in the East River at 7:10 p.m. No footage depicted him exiting via pedestrian paths, and officials labeled certain coverage gaps as “unavoidable.” They repeatedly stated no evidence of criminal activity, with digital forensics (including social media and Roblox checks) ruling out foul play or third-party coercion.

The introduction of Elizabeth Angle and Grace “Gracie” Briton—names not previously linked to Thomas’s case in any official capacity—raises immediate questions. Recent reports and community discussions suggest these two 16-year-old best friends from Frisco, Texas, tragically died in a separate sledding accident on January 25, 2026. Witnesses described them being towed on a sled behind a Jeep Wrangler during a snowy afternoon; the sled struck a curb, then collided with a tree, ejecting both girls. Elizabeth succumbed to injuries that day, while Gracie fought on life support before passing on January 27. The incident remains under investigation by Frisco Police and the Denton County District Attorney’s Office, with no public ties to New York, Long Island, or Thomas Medlin.

No verified news sources, police statements, or credible updates connect Angle or Briton to Medlin’s disappearance. Searches across major outlets (New York Post, FOX 5 NY, People, Hindustan Times, Mirror, and others) and social platforms yield no overlap—only coincidental mentions in unrelated missing persons or tragedy aggregation posts on Facebook groups. The “ride” reference, “collision” sounds from bystanders, high vehicle speed, and CCTV capture do not align with the bridge timeline, which centers on pedestrian activity and a water disturbance, not vehicular involvement.

Investigators’ concerns over vehicle speed and fresh CCTV footage—if tied to this claim—could imply unreleased angles showing a car on or near the bridge (perhaps crossing during rush hour), a possible pickup, or an unrelated incident misinterpreted in rumors. Some online speculation has floated theories of Thomas entering a vehicle after the bridge sighting (explaining no pedestrian exit footage), with the “splash” potentially from discarded items like his backpack or phone. However, police have not endorsed this, maintaining the splash’s proximity to his last position and no criminal indicators.

This “breaking” detail may stem from misinformation, conflation of unrelated tragedies (the Texas sledding deaths occurred amid winter weather, drawing widespread sympathy posts around the same time as Medlin updates), or evolving rumors in online forums. The casual last text from Thomas (routine and non-alarming), the out-of-place item found miles away (prompting timeline revisions), and prior family appeals all painted a picture of a lone, possibly distressed teen—not a group ride or vehicular event.

The emotional weight remains heaviest on Thomas’s mother, Eva Yan, whose pleas for contact—”Please bring my son back,” “He’s not in trouble,” “We love him so much”—continue unchanged. Thomas, white, 5’4”, 130 pounds, short dark hair, glasses, last seen in a black jacket with red stripes, dark sweatpants with white stripes, and black backpack, is still missing. No recovery or new sightings have been confirmed as of January 29, 2026.

The case illustrates how fast rumors can spread in high-profile disappearances, especially when mixed with parallel tragedies. Suffolk County Police urge tips via the Fourth Squad (631-854-8452) or 911—any dashcam, witness account, or private footage from the Manhattan Bridge area that evening could clarify. Until official confirmation, the core remains the bridge sequence: a teen alone, a sudden cutoff, a splash, and lingering hope amid heartbreak.