Teen girls among 4 children killed in sledding accidents across the US

January 29, 2026 Cosmopolite
Teen girls among 4 children killed in sledding accidents across the US

At least four children died in sledding accidents over thesnow-filled weekend.

USA TODAY

A 17-year-old boy in Benton, Arkansas died on Jan. 24 after he collided with a tree while being pulled on a sled by an all-terrain vehicle, according to a Saline County Sheriff's Office news release obtained by USA TODAY.

The next day, two 16-year-old girls died in Frisco, Texas, a Dallas suburb, after their sled, pulled by a Jeep Wrangler, also struck a tree, according to Facebook posts made by the Frisco Police Department.

And on Jan. 27, an 11-year-old boy was reported dead after a sledding incident in Staunton, Virginia,The News Leader, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.

As of Jan. 29, at least 81 deaths have been reported that are thought to be related to the winter storm or successive freezing temperatures, according to research by USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network.

Snow, ice and freezing rain plummeted much of the country between Jan. 23 and Jan. 26. Now, meteorologists are forecastinganother winter stormto strike the East Coast on Saturday, Jan. 31, moving across the Mid-Atlantic on Sunday, Feb. 1, the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center said on Jan. 27. Meteorologists, however, do not expect the upcoming storm to be near the size of last week's.

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<p style=Drivers navigate icy conditions on Briley Parkway in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. A winter storm brought snow and ice to Middle Tennessee starting on Saturday.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Motorists travel along north bound lanes of Interstate 65 as a winter storm moved into the region Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026 in Brentwood, Tenn. The storm is expected to bring snow, sleet, freezing temperatures and ice across multiple states this weekend. Pedestrians walk through the heavy snow in Columbus as Winter Storm Fern continues to dump snow on Central Ohio on Jan. 25, 2026. Mark Anstaett of Clintonville, Ohio cross country skis though Whetstone Park as Winter Storm Fern continues to dump snow on the Columbus area on Jan. 25, 2026. Vehicles make their way along I-95 southbound into Wilmington, Del. past the W. 18th Street overpass, early morning, Jan. 25, 2026. NES crews work on restoring power after a tree fell across Bluefield Ave. in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. A winter storm brought snow and ice to Middle Tennessee starting on Saturday. Snow is plowed on route 9 in Tarrytown, NY during the winter storm Jan. 25, 2026. The storm was predicted to drop up to a foot of snow on the lower Hudson Valley. A family sleds Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, at Unity Park in Greenville, SC. Cars travel Interstate 65 as snow falls Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Indianapolis. Ted Bieber of the Knolls walks across the SR-315 pedestrian bridge as Winter Storm Fern continues to dump snow on the Columbus, Ohio area on Jan. 25, 2026. Mark Bruce uses a snowblower Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, along the street in front of his Avon, Ind. home. A layer of snow blankets the back of two horses in Greenville on Jan. 25, 2026. Snow covers the ground of the Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church in New Castle County, Del. on Jan. 25, 2026. Snow is plowed on route 9 in Tarrytown, N.Y. during the winter storm Jan. 25, 2026. The storm was predicted to drop up to a foot of snow on the lower Hudson Valley. <p style=A major winter storm is forecast to spread heavy snow, sleet and dangerous ice to tens of millions of Americans across two dozen states starting on Friday and continuing into the weekend.
See here, Keith Wilson, of Milwaukee, walks with frozen eyelashes down East State Street in Milwaukee on Jan. 23, 2026. The National Weather Service issued an extreme cold watch across Wisconsin with windchills between 30 and 40 below zero.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Erie Downtown Partnership Ambassadors Derek Smith, right, and Rob Nelson clear ice and snow near a bus stop, with single-digit temperatures outdoors, in Erie, Pa., on Jan. 23, 2026. Smith said they try and keep paths clear during heavy snow events. American Red Cross shelter set up at the Civic Center of Anderson, SC, on Jan 24, 2026. A customer loads ice melt into their car at Lowes on Jan. 22, 2026 in Little Rock, Ark. Yahaira Rojas, of Milwaukee, shields her face from the cold as she walks down North 10th Street in from of the Milwaukee County Courthouse in Milwaukee on Jan. 23, 2026. An employee restocks a shelf with snow shovels at Keith's Hardware store on Jan. 23, 2026 in Louisville. Victoria Parker volunteers at The Store assisting customers before the winter storm in Nashville on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. The Store is a non-profit organization founded by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley to support food‑insecure neighbors. A pedestrian walks to the grocery store for milk during a stretch of extreme cold weather, Jan. 23, 2026, in Menasha, Wisc. <p style=Joe Gegelbach loads his trunk with ice melt at the Home Depot as he potential winter storm Evansville, Ind., Jan. 23, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Orangetown Highway Department crews load salt on snow plows in preparation for the snow storm at their facility in Orangeburg, N.Y., Jan. 23, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Firewood, snow shovels and other items to help deal with the coming storm at s Home Depot in Gastonia, N.C. on Jan. 23, 2026. Lynn Batizy of Anderson volunteers setting up cots for American Red Cross warming center at the Civic Center of Anderson, S.C., Jan. 23 2026. On Jan. 23, 2026, Lynn Sealey (left) and Colby Coates (right) replenish produce after an increased number of customers visited the WNC Farmers Market vendor in Asheville, N.C., ahead of the winter storm. Large trucks are filled with a salt and sand mixture at the Easter Salt Co., in Quincy, Mass. on, Jan. 22, 2026. Overnight snowfall left the morning commute in downtown Rochester, NY a little slippery on Jan. 22, 2026. A nearly empty bread shelf is seen in Madison, Tenn., ahead of the storm on January 22, 2025. John Pickering looks over a new shovel at Curry Hardware in West Quincy, Massachusetts, on Jan. 22, 2026. A sun dog seen Jan. 22, 2026 near Pittsville, WI. Sun dogs are caused by refraction of sunlight by ice crystals. A People brace the cold temperatures while walking on the Brooklyn Bridge in the Manhattan borough of New York City on January 21, 2026. Bringing icy temperatures, Winter Storm Fern will slam a massive stretch of the United States this week, with more than 175 million people facing the prospect of heavy snowfall, power outages and travel disruption. Forecasters warned it could be 2,000 miles long, well over half the length of the continental US.

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Drivers navigate icy conditions on Briley Parkway in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. Awinter stormbrought snow and ice to Middle Tennessee starting on Saturday.

Two similar sledding incidents in one weekend

On Saturday, Jan. 24, Saline County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a serious injury involving a 17-year-old boy who had struck a tree while being pulled on a sled by an ATV, the news release states. Emergency responders provided immediate medical assistance, however the boy succumbed to his injuries on site. The incident remains under investigation by the Saline County Sheriff's Office.

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A similar incident happened a day later in Texas.

At around 2:26 p.m. local time on Jan. 25, the Frisco Police Department responded to a call involving a sledding crash. The 16-year-old girls were transported to local hospitals following the incident, and both succumbed to their injuries, the department shared in a series of Facebook posts.

In aFacebook postmade on Jan. 28, the Frisco Police Department clarified that there has been no indication of alcohol involvement by the involved teens.

The incident remains an open investigation with assistance from the Denton County District Attorney's Office. The Frisco Police Department cannot share the girls' names because they are minors.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact the Frisco Police Department at 972-292-6010. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by texting FRISCOPD to 847411 or via the Frisco PD mobile app.

How to stay safe while sledding this winter

TheNational Safety CouncilandNationwide Children's Hospitaloffer the following advice for staying safe while sledding this winter:

  • Make sure all sledding equipment is in good condition, without sharp edges and cracks.

  • Ideally, sleds with steering and hand brake features are best, as they allow for more control than flat sheets, snow discs or innertubes.

  • For extra protection, wear a snow sports, multi-sport or bicycle helmet.

  • Sled on spacious, gently-slopped hills with a level run-off so the sled can easily stop.

  • Check slopes for bare spots, holes and obstructions, like rocks, fences or poles.

  • Do not sled on or around frozen lakes, streams or ponds.

  • Sit on top of the sled with feet pointing downhill. Never sled head first.

Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her atgcross@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Sledding accidents lead to 4 children dying, authorities say

 

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