A devastating accident on a snowy Colorado highway has left a young girl without her father, a youth hockey team shaken, and an entire California community rallying in prayer.

What was supposed to be an exciting road trip for the Santa Clarita Lady Flyers, a 12-and-under girls hockey team from Southern California, turned into a nightmare just before 9 a.m. Thursday on Interstate 70 in Clear Creek County, about 55 miles west of Denver. A Sprinter van carrying players and parents to a Western Girls Hockey League tournament collided head-on with a Colorado Department of Transportation snowplow on a snowy stretch of road.

The impact was violent. The snowplow’s blade was ripped off, and the van was flipped off the side of the interstate. The driver — the father of one of the girls — was killed at the scene. Of the 10 people inside the van, eight were injured. One young girl was airlifted to a trauma center in critical condition, while seven others, including four children and three adults, were taken to nearby hospitals, according to CPR News.

Back home, parents at The Cube Ice and Entertainment Center struggled to explain the tragedy to their daughters.

“She was distraught,” hockey dad Serge Zarubin said of his daughter’s reaction. “It’s understandable. It’s hard for them. It’s hard on grown-ups. It’s even harder for the kids.”

Another parent, Kelly Lytle, spoke about the heartbreak that rippled through the Santa Clarita Valley. “It hits everybody hard — it’s just so tragic. There is a child without a parent now,” she said. “It’s just really disheartening to think about those families.”

The van had been rented by three families to transport the girls to the tournament, KTLA reported. For many connected to the team, the shock was overwhelming.

“This is the kind of thing you hear about on the news, but it’s never someone you know or people you know,” Prescott Littlefield, president of the Santa Clarita Flyers, told NBC. “It just completely knocked me back, knocked the wind out of me.”

In the hours following the crash, the hockey club shared a message on Instagram, asking for privacy and prayer. “Our 12AA Lady Flyers were on their way to Denver, Colorado, to participate in a WGHL weekend,” the statement read. “We ask that you keep our hockey families in your prayers and that you give them time to sort through the details of this tragic event.”

There has been some encouraging news amid the grief. While one girl remains in critical condition, the four other children injured in the crash have since been released from the hospital. Of the three adults hospitalized, two remain in serious condition, and one is listed in fair condition.

Still, the loss of a father and the trauma experienced by these young girls has left a lasting wound — one that words alone cannot heal. For many, faith becomes the place to turn when tragedy feels unbearable.

Lord, our hearts are heavy for this family, this team, and this community. We lift up the child who lost her father, asking that You surround her with comfort, peace, and people who will love her well. We pray for the injured — especially the girl still in critical condition — asking for healing, strength, and protection. Amen.