Seventeen-year-old Caden Nowicki, an inside linebacker for Ponder ISD, died on Jan. 29 from injuries sustained when a kayak being towed behind an ATV left the road and ejected him into a fence on Jan. 26. The crash happened around 2:25 p.m. in the 400 block of Amyz Hill Road in Ponder, Denton County. The ATV driver, 22-year-old Jackson Long of Oklahoma, and an 18-year-old passenger, Austin Erickson, were not hurt. The death follows a separate Jan. 25 Frisco sledding crash that fatally injured two 16-year-old girls; investigations into both incidents are ongoing.
17-Year-Old Texas High School Senior Dies After Kayak Sledding Crash That Threw Him Into Fence
A boy sledding (stock image).Getty
On Thursday, Jan. 29, Ponder Independent School District confirmed that 17-year-old Caden Nowicki — an inside linebacker who wore No. 44 for the district's football team — died from injuries sustained three days earlier in a sledding accident.
Ponder ISD athletic director Marcus Schulz announced Nowicki's death on X, writing, "With heavy hearts our #44 Caden Nowicki crossed through the gates into our heavenly Father's arms today." Schulz asked the community to keep the Nowicki family in their prayers and paid tribute to the teen's impact on teammates and the school.
According to a statement from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) provided to PEOPLE, the Jan. 26 crash occurred about 2:25 p.m. local time in the 400 block of Amyz Hill Road in Ponder, Denton County. Nowicki had been riding inside a kayak that was being towed behind an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) when the kayak "left the roadway," and the teen was ejected into a fence, sustaining critical injuries.
DPS identified the ATV driver as 22-year-old Jackson Long of Oklahoma. An 18-year-old passenger, Austin Erickson, was also in the ATV; DPS reported that neither Long nor Erickson were injured.
Ponder ISD Superintendent James Hill had told parents and staff in a letter, later reported by local media, that Nowicki was critically injured while sledding and described him as an "outstanding young man who is loved by many." School officials did not immediately respond to additional requests for comment.
The tragedy followed a separate deadly sledding crash in nearby Frisco on Sunday, Jan. 25, in which two 16-year-old girls, Elizabeth Angle and Grace "Gracie" Brito, were seriously hurt after a sled being towed by a Jeep struck a curb and slammed into a tree. Angle died shortly after the crash; Brito was placed on life support and died on Jan. 27, her family confirmed to local media. Frisco police extended their condolences as investigations continued.
Both incidents have drawn attention to the dangers of towing people on improvised sledding devices such as kayaks, inner tubes or makeshift sleds behind motor vehicles. Local authorities — including DPS and Frisco Police — are investigating the separate crashes. The Ponder community has expressed mourning and support for Nowicki's family, teammates and friends as details continue to emerge.
Note: Authorities urge people to avoid towing individuals on non-designed towing devices and to follow safety guidance when operating ATVs and motor vehicles.
Source: PEOPLE; statements from Ponder ISD and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
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