Denton County teen critically injured in sledding incident, school officials confirm

A senior at Ponder High School is in the hospital following a sledding incident on Monday, according to a letter from school officials.

In a letter to parents and staff, Ponder ISD superintendent James Hill said one of its students, Caden Nowicki, was snow sledding when he was critically injured.

Hill called Nowicki, 17, an "outstanding young man who is loved by many."

A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety told CBS News Texas that Nowicki was riding in a kayak that was being towed behind an ATV. The kayak left the road, which caused Nowicki to be ejected into a fence.

DPS identified the driver of the ATV as 22-year-old Jackson Long from Oklahoma. Neither Long or an 18-year-old passenger were injured.

Ponder ISD said it would be collecting food gift cards for Nowicki's family, and those who want to contribute can drop them off at the high school front office or athletic office.

"We ask that you keep Caden, his family, and friends in your fervent prayers and respect their need for privacy during this very difficult time. Our hearts are with them," Hill said.

Ponder Fellowship of Christian Athletes held a prayer service for Nowicki on Thursday morning.

The incident comes as another North Texas community mourns the loss of two 16-year-old girls in Frisco. They were both riding on a sled, being pulled by a Jeep, when it hit a curb and crashed into a tree.