At least 18 dead across the US following winter storm

At least 18 deaths have been attributed to the winter storm that brought massive snowfall across the U.S., knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people in the South and crippled travel in the Northeast.

In Frisco, Texas, near Dallas, a 16-year-old girl died from a sledding accident, according to Frisco police. The victim and another girl were being pulled on a sled by a teenage boy driving a car when the sled struck a curb and then hit a tree, police said.

In the Austin area, a victim was found dead in the parking lot of an abandoned gas station from apparent hypothermia, officials said.

In Arkansas, a 17-year-old boy died after he was being pulled by an ATV in the snow and struck a tree, according to the Saline County Sheriff’s Office.

In Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, three people died while removing snow, the county coroner said.

The victims ranged in age from 60 to 84, the coroner said, adding, “I remind the public to use caution when shovel snow … especially individuals with a history of heart disease or other medical concerns.”

Five people died in New York City, according to the mayor.

In Massachusetts, a woman died after a snow plow backed into her in a parking lot, local officials said, according to Boston affiliate WCVB.

Three deaths were reported in Tennessee, two in Louisiana and one in Kansas, according to officials.