Texas teen died after vehicle plunged off bridge into bayou, reports say

A Houston teenager has died after the vehicle she was riding in plunged off a bridge and fell into the Brays Bayou on Monday afternoon, according to media reports.

KPRC, KSAT’s sister station in Houston, reported that Emily Castilleja, 16, and a teenage boy and girl were traveling on the road when the driver lost control. The vehicle went over the guardrail and into the water.

The boy and girl were able to escape from the car, but Castilleja remained trapped.

Authorities told KPRC that she ended up dying and her body was later recovered. One of the surviving teens suffered injuries to their arm and face and was taken to the hospital, and the other surviving teen was not hospitalized.

The crash is under investigation but authorities believe speed may have been a factor. At this time it is unclear who was driving the car.

Milby High School Principal Ruth Pena told KPRC that Castilleja was a student there. Monday was an early dismissal day and the Houston Independent School District’s second-to-last day of class, ABC 13 reported.

The school’s softball team honored her with a balloon release on Tuesday.

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