A New Year’s Eve gathering in Amarillo was meant to welcome 2026 with laughter, friendship, and hope. Instead, the first hours of the new year delivered a tragedy that stunned a family and shook an entire community. Fifteen-year-old Brynnlee Hampton lost her life shortly after midnight while riding in a car with other teenagers, turning what should have been a simple trip home into a moment that would change countless lives forever.
Police were called to Westwind Avenue around 1:10 a.m. after reports of a seriously injured teen inside a vehicle. Officers found Brynnlee in the front passenger seat, critically wounded, while six other teens were physically unharmed. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors fought to save her, but her injuries proved fatal. Investigators later confirmed her death was not caused by a traffic crash.
