(The Center Square) – Texas averted a massive power outage over the weekend as an arctic blast swept through the state, bringing subfreezing temperatures and inches of snow in some regions. Not all heeded law enforcement warnings to stay off roads, including those using their vehicles in makeshift sledding on streets and in stadium parking lots.
As the storm moved in, many regions experienced torrential downpours and lightning storms caused sleet and ice. Later, snow fell over the ice, then rain and ice again, causing dangerous driving conditions, The Center Square reported.
Most Texans rarely experience snow in their neighborhoods. As snow fell in north Texas and the Panhandle, videos were posted on online of people driving vehicles towing one or more people with a rope as they slid across snow-covered streets. Some were on pieces of cardboard, others on skis, sleds, snowboards or wooden pallets.
This is how we do it Texas! Weatherford. #txwx pic.twitter.com/DIknM6RB3k— Chad Casey (@WxFanaticCC) January 24, 2026
In Frisco, one teenage boy drove his jeep pulling two teenage girls on a sled, when the drive turned fatal. On Sunday afternoon, emergency personnel responded to witnesses calling about an accident in a Frisco neighborhood. They arrived to find two 16-year-old girls with life threatening injuries and began administering life saving measures. The girls were transported to local hospitals. One died; the other is in critical condition.
In Brownwood, near Abilene, another teenager drove his truck pulling a woman on a makeshift sled, causing serious injuries.
Authorities did not release the names of the minors but the parents and friends of the deceased issued statements. Her mother, Megan Angle, said, “It is with deep despair and utter shock that Brian and I announce the passing of our beautiful 16 year old girl, Elizabeth Marie Angle. She was a bright light, a fun spirit, a brave soul. 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 in a sledding accident,” adding that “she had people helping her til the end.”
A Wakeland High School sophomore, Elizabeth played center back on the soccer team. Her teammates described her as the team’s “defender.”
The Frisco Police Department said a 16-year-old boy was driving a Jeep Wrangler pulling the girls with a rope who were sitting on a sled. “Witnesses reported the sled struck a curb and collided with a tree,” Frisco PD said. An investigation is ongoing with the Denton County District Attorney’s Office.
Frisco PD requested anyone with information to contact it.
It also continues to issue warnings “that snow and ice can create extremely slippery surfaces and lead to serious or even deadly accidents. Please stay alert, stay indoors when possible, and avoid any unnecessary outdoor activity until conditions improve.”
On Tuesday, it also posted a warning from the National Weather Service, saying, “Hazardous travel impacts due to remnant ice, sleet, & snow on roads will continue through this morning. … Light ice accumulations on surfaces may occur, so make sure to take it easy and slow in the mornings.”
Also on Sunday, emergency personnel were dispatched to Gordon Wood Stadium in Brownwood, southeast of Abilene. The Brownwood Police Department also responded to calls made by witnesses about “someone was sledding behind a pickup and slid under a parked pickup and was injured.”
Police officers arrived and identified 19-year-old Jayden Michael Garcia of Brownwood who “was driving his 2014 single cab pickup in the parking lot. Garcia devised a rope and pallet sled and allowed people to sled behind the pickup as he drove them. At one point, while pulling a 19-year-old female rider, he lost control of his pickup, causing her to launch with great speed under a parked pickup,” Brownwood PD said in a statement. She suffered serious injuries.
Police interviewed Garcia, arrested him and charged him with Aggravated Assault Causing Serious Bodily Injury. He was transported and booked at the Brown County Jail, Brownwood PD said.
On Monday, the Brownwood PD issued another warning about road conditions, saying, “Emergency personnel are responding to multiple vehicles stuck on roads right now. Please stay home unless travel is essential to help keep our first responders available for emergencies. Ice may refreeze quickly, drive slow and use extra caution if you must travel.”
State and local officials warn that towing sleds or makeshift sleds behind vehicles is extremely dangerous and can result in severe injury or death. They are also encouraging Texans to engage in recreational activities like sledding, ice skating and skiing in designated recreational areas, including parks, and not on roads. They also continue to warn Texans to exercise caution during winter conditions.
