Tragedy In Texas As 16-Year-Old Girl Killed In Sledding Accident During Monster Storm

What began as a rare chance for winter fun in Texas has ended in heartbreak. A 16-year-old girl has died and another teenager is in a critical condition after a sledding accident in the city of Frisco, becoming one of at least 14 people killed as a huge winter storm batters large parts of the United States.

The fatal crash is the most poignant illustration yet of how quickly this 'historic' cold spell has turned deadly. From New York to Tennessee, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Kansas and Texas, authorities are linking multiple deaths to the storm, while hundreds of thousands have been left without power and much of the transport network has ground to a halt.

Flights have been cancelled, schools closed and major roads shut as snow, freezing rain and sub‑zero temperatures sweep from the Gulf Coast to New England. In neighbouring Canada, Toronto has recorded its snowiest month since records began, underscoring just how exceptional this weather pattern is.

Texas Sledding Accident Highlights Human Cost Of Monster Storm

The tragedy in Frisco unfolded on Sunday afternoon, when what should have been an improvised bit of fun in the snow went catastrophically wrong.

Frisco Police Department and Frisco Fire Department say they were called to the scene at around 14:25, where they found two 16-year-old girls with life‑threatening injuries. Both had been riding on a sled being towed behind a Jeep Wrangler driven by a 16-year-old boy, according to an initial investigation.

Witnesses told officers the sled struck a kerb and then collided with a tree. One of the girls later died of her injuries; the second remains in a critical condition in hospital. Frisco police say the incident remains under active investigation.

In a statement, the city's Public Information Office used the case to urge others not to underestimate the risks posed by ice and snow, especially in regions unaccustomed to such severe conditions. It reminded people that 'ice can create extremely slippery surfaces and lead to serious or even deadly accidents... Your safety comes first.'

For many families across the southern US, snowfall is still a novelty rather than a routine hazard. But as this storm has shown, unfamiliarity can prove dangerous. Simple activities such as sledding, walking on untreated pavements or driving on icy residential streets can become life‑threatening when temperatures plummet and surfaces freeze solid.

Texas Sledding Accident Part Of Wider US Winter Storm Toll

The girl's death is just one of a growing list of fatalities linked to the storm. Officials in Tennessee have confirmed three 'weather-related fatalities,' while Louisiana has reported two 'winter storm-related deaths.' In Texas, a local affiliate of the BBC's US partner CBS News reports that police are investigating the death of a man found at a petrol station, saying it may have been medical or weather related, or both.

In Massachusetts, CBS says a woman died after being hit by a snow plough. Police in Kansas report that a woman found covered in snow may have succumbed to hypothermia. And in New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani says at least five people lost their lives during the storm, though 'it's still too early to determine the causes of death.'

Travel conditions have been treacherous. Thousands of roads have been closed across several states. In Texas, there are widespread closures, with north‑eastern parts of the state particularly hard hit by ice and snow. In Cherokee County, Georgia, motorists have been urged to use caution and 'stay home if possible.' Indiana's Trafficwise system has been keeping residents updated on blocked routes, while in North Carolina, the DriveNC service has warned that 'staying home and off the roads another day is advised, but if you must travel, take it SLOW.'

Even where the main band of snow has moved on, the danger has not passed. In the mid‑south, the US National Weather Service (NWS) office in Memphis says the winter storm has now exited the region, but 'extremely cold wind chills have taken its place.' It is warning that early morning wind chills in much of the area will be 'well below' 0F (-17.8C), posing serious risks of frostbite and hypothermia for anyone caught outside without proper protection.

North of the border, Canada has been hammered too. At Toronto Pearson Airport, 46cm (18.1in) of snow fell during Sunday alone – a new daily snowfall record for the site, based on data from Environment Canada. That brings the total amount of snow recorded so far this January to 88.2cm (34.7in), making it the snowiest month at the airport since records began in 1937.

Canada's weather service says the storm has caused significant disruption across much of southern Ontario, with blowing snow reducing visibility to almost zero and making travel hazardous. Many schools are reported to be closed on Monday as authorities work to clear roads and keep people safe.

Across North America, the picture is now grimly familiar: stranded motorists, grounded flights, darkened homes and families confronted with sudden, devastating loss. As the clean‑up begins and temperatures remain brutally low, officials are repeating the same simple advice – stay indoors if you can, listen to local warnings and remember, however tempting the snow may look, that safety comes first.