They were traveling for competition, their gear bags packed and skates sharpened. The Santa Clarita Lady Flyers, aged eleven and twelve, were traveling from California to Denver with enthusiasm thick in the air. Like any youth sports team, they shared food, planned strategies, and probably dozed asleep between bursts of chatter. Then followed the collision that ended everything familiar.
On a snowy January morning, just outside Denver on Interstate 70, a Colorado Department of Transportation snowplow lost control, speeding across the median. In seconds, it struck the vehicle holding ten people—players, parents, and coaches. The blade of the plow detached violently. The van was wrecked, its structure flipped and crumpled as it slid down the embankment.
Manuel Lorenzana Villegas, father to one of the girls, died instantaneously.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Team Name | Santa Clarita Lady Flyers 12AA |
| Age Group | Girls under 12 years old |
| Location of Crash | Interstate 70, Clear Creek County, Colorado |
| Date of Incident | January 29, 2026 |
| Vehicle Involved | Rented Sprinter van (carrying 10 people) |
| Opposing Vehicle | Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) snowplow |
| Fatality | Manuel Lorenzana Villegas (father of one of the players) |
| Injuries | 4 children, 3 adults injured; 1 child airlifted in critical condition |
| Crash Cause (Initial Report) | Snowplow lost control, crossed median, struck van |
| Tournament | WGHL Playoffs, Denver |
| Current Status | Team chose to continue playing in honor of victim and their teammates |
One can hardly fathom the turmoil that followed—the high-pitched screech of metal, the shouts, the flashing lights, and the chilly air settling within smashed windows. Yet even amid confusion, emergency personnel performed with amazing urgency. One youngster, badly injured, was evacuated to Children’s Hospital Colorado. Others were transported to trauma units. The adults, some still unconscious, were taken away with barely a moment’s wait.
In the hours that followed, phones rung unanswered in Santa Clarita. Teammates’ families gathered at the team’s home rink, anxiously expecting updates. The arena, typically packed with laughing and slap shots, plunged into a terrifying calm. For those who knew Manuel directly, sadness struck particularly hard. He was more than simply a hockey dad; he was incredibly active, frequently volunteering and assisting with issues related to transportation.
The unimaginable had started to alter their plans by the following morning.
Prescott Littlefield, the team’s president, made an announcement that was both devastating and strangely hopeful. The females who could and wanted to continue playing chose to do so in spite of their anguish. They strapped their skates the next day and headed onto the ice in Denver. Medals were no longer their goal. They were honoring something considerably more meaningful.
During that first game, no one looked at the scoreboard.
Spectators, generally cheering, sat in quiet amazement. Every puck touch held emotional gravity. The goalie appeared to be wearing heavier gloves. Passes weren’t merely tactical—they were acts of courage. One athlete reportedly had Manuel’s name inside her glove. Another had a black armband under her elbow pad.
Through intentional composure and mental resilience, the girls reminded everyone there of something truly human. They weren’t only getting by. Through a game that most people take for granted, they were honoring, absorbing, and adjusting.
When it comes to grieving, youth sports frequently uncover realities that go well beyond medals. They highlight the way youngsters process trauma—not with words, but with movement. They were demonstrating to us that they still had hope for the future with each glide and stop on the ice. That isn’t being naive. That’s resolve.
Their decision to continue playing became a national story—not because it was spectacular, but because it was quietly daring. And in today’s media climate, quiet boldness stands out.
The athletes became emblems of something very uncommon—collective strength without obligation—by utilizing their own senses for connection. Nobody told them to keep going. Together, they decided to. They weren’t pushed by their coaches. There was no pressure from their family. The votes were cast collectively, and they were weighed against the lives that had already been altered.
As news of the crash spread, donations arrived rapidly. With hundreds of messages, online fundraisers exceeded expectations. “You’re stronger than most adults,” one message said. Another simply said, “You skated for all of us today.”
Comparisons to the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus disaster in Saskatchewan have been made in recent days. Both tales illustrate a more general reality about how sports teams, particularly youth teams, develop into more than just groups of players, even though the scope and results are different. They start a family. They hold each other up, particularly when tragedy hits from nowhere.
The crash is still being investigated. The snowplow’s trajectory, its maintenance history, and the meteorological circumstances are all being reviewed extensively by Colorado State Patrol’s Vehicular Crimes Unit. What counts just as much today, however, is how the Lady Flyers move ahead.
Those who were physically capable, at least, have returned to training, and they seem surprisingly calm. Others are still recovering, mentally and physically. Coaches have altered practices to allow for space and silence. Invited are sports psychologists. Counselors for bereavement are still available. The rink, originally only a training ground, now functions as shelter.
The girls will remember what happened in the future. They hold Manuel’s memory, the screaming on that wintry roadway, and the bravery it required to show up thereafter. But they also contain something very effective—an awareness of what team spirit actually entails. Not medals, not banners. but deciding to proceed together after everything has ceased.
It is anticipated that the Lady Flyers will soon return home. There will be a vigil, peaceful and lighted, at The Cube. There will be no television coverage of it. It won’t trend. However, it will be significant.
Because when twelve-year-olds practice grace with sticks and helmets, it becomes a sound that lasts longer than cheers.
