Elizabeth Angle and Grace ‘Gracie’ Brito were best friends and compassionate people, their families said
NEED TO KNOW
- Two teenagers who died in a sledding accident are being honored by their loved ones days after the tragedy
- Best friends Elizabeth Angle and Grace “Gracie” Brito were “holding on to each other” when the accident happened, Elizabeth’s mother wrote
- Gracie’s family said her final wish to become an organ donor is currently being fulfilled
The two teenagers who died in a sledding accident are being remembered as sweet girls and best friends.
On Sunday, Jan. 25, Elizabeth Angle and her best friend Grace “Gracie” Brito, two 16-year-olds from Frisco, Texas, were riding on a sled that was being pulled by a Jeep when the sled hit a curb and slammed into a tree. Both girls sustained life-threatening injuries and were transported to local hospitals, where both later died.
Elizabeth’s mother, Megan Angle, honored both her daughter and Gracie in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Jan. 28. Alongside a selection of photos of the two girls together, Megan reflected on their friendship and offered her condolences to the Brito family.
“These sweet besties are together forever. I find some comfort knowing they are in heaven together. Such beautiful girls,” Megan wrote, adding, “They were holding on to each other on the sled.”
In an earlier Facebook post from Monday, Jan. 26, Megan paid tribute to her daughter. Elizabeth had just received her drivers license and a car, and “had her whole life ahead of her,” Megan wrote.
“She was a bright light, a fun spirit, a brave soul. We loved her so much,” Megan said. “Life is fleeting and precious … We will never be the same and never forget how much love she brought to our family.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/elizabeth-angle-012926-464fcfe70a5f41029b1ebe9589da6f89.jpg)
In her Wednesday post, Megan remembered Gracie as a “sweet girl and a good friend” to Elizabeth, as well as a cheerleader, a Wicked lover and “a teenager that would actually converse with me.”
In a GoFundMe page set up in Elizabeth’s name, the Angle family shared that they are establishing The Elizabeth Angle Foundation to help provide scholarships to children in need so that they might pursue their passions further. Elizabeth’s parents and friends will manage the foundation, according to the fundraiser.
Related Stories
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/sledding-accident-12626-28a6eb26f809477fb24e3fc56d83866d.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Elizabeth-Angle-012626-c380952c956042daa50b09dd240445cc.jpg)
“In the midst of unimaginable grief, her family is committed to honoring her in a way that reflects who she was and what she cared about,” read the description for the fundraiser, which has raised nearly $49,000 as of Thursday, Jan. 29.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
A separate GoFundMe created for Gracie aims to help the Brito family mitigate the unexpected financial costs of the tragedy. The page has thus far raised more than $9,000 in less than 24 hours.
“Gracie was a radiant, selfless light in the lives of everyone who knew her, and her sudden loss has left her family and friends heartbroken beyond words,” the fundraiser description read.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(599x0:601x2):format(webp)/gracie-brito-012926-6220819e8fa4481ba86b51e112bbe407.jpg)
The Brito family told local outlet Fox 4 that Gracie was a giving person who loved helping others. The outlet reported the Brito family is currently honoring Gracie’s last wish, which was to be an organ donor.
“She was a kind and generous soul, full of warmth, love, and compassion,” the family said in a statement to Fox 4. “Even at such a young age, she showed a selflessness beyond her years.”
The family added, “We are taking things moment by moment and leaning on our faith, on one another, and on the overwhelming love and support from our family, friends, and community.”
News
WAS THIS THE LAST MOMENT THEY WERE SEEN ALIVE? New tourist footage tied to Ernst and Dina Marais shows a disturbing encounter near their Ford Ranger before it disappeared… 👇👇
The final confirmed image of Ernst and Dina Marais has not yet been released to the public. But in the murder investigation now gripping South Africa, even the possibility of one passing tourist’s camera has become explosive. A claim circulating online suggests that another visitor inside Kruger National Park may have unknowingly captured the couple’s […]
THE FINAL IMAGE BEFORE THE DISAPPEARANCE: A tourist’s camera caught Ernst and Dina Marais’ Ford Ranger — and investigators are now studying the four people seen nearby… 👇👇
The final confirmed image of Ernst and Dina Marais has not yet been released to the public. But in the murder investigation now gripping South Africa, even the possibility of one passing tourist’s camera has become explosive. A claim circulating online suggests that another visitor inside Kruger National Park may have unknowingly captured the couple’s […]
THE BODIES WERE SUPPOSED TO DISAPPEAR: Authorities investigating the deaths of Ernst and Dina Marais believe the remote river location may have been chosen
For most visitors to Kruger National Park, Crooks Corner is a place of beauty. It is where rivers meet.Where elephants cross.Where South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe press against one another in one of the park’s most remote and historic landscapes. But after the bodies of Ernst and Dina Marais were found near that river system, […]
WHAT INVESTIGATORS FOUND ON THE VICTIMS’ CHESTS CHANGED EVERYTHING: Hair samples and forensic analysis tied to Ernst and Dina Marais
Ernst and Dina Marais were found inside Kruger National Park. But the trail investigators followed did not stay there. After the retired couple’s bodies were discovered near Crooks Corner in the far northern reaches of the park, attention quickly turned toward one of the most disturbing clues in the case: tyre tracks believed to lead […]
LAST SIGHTS AT PAFURI: What happened after Ernst and Dina left the campsite?
Ernst and Dina Marais were found inside Kruger National Park. But the trail investigators followed did not stay there. After the retired couple’s bodies were discovered near Crooks Corner in the far northern reaches of the park, attention quickly turned toward one of the most disturbing clues in the case: tyre tracks believed to lead […]
HIS FINAL MOMENTS IN THE BATHROOM WERE FAR WORSE THAN ANYONE KNEW: New autopsy details involving Kyle Busch are now drawing intense public attention… 👇👇
The symptoms were terrifying. Shortness of breath.Overheating.Coughing up blood.Then collapse. In the final hours before Kyle Busch’s death, the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion was reportedly still close to the world that had defined his life: race preparation, training, and competition. But behind the routine, his body was fighting an illness that moved faster than […]
End of content
No more pages to load
