Plano East hockey player Carter Heise, 15, dies in Independence Parkway crash

Carter Heise, a 15-year-old resident of Murphy, was killed when a blue Chevrolet Volt traveling south crossed the center median and struck a white Lincoln Navigator on the 600 block of Independence Parkway near West Plano Parkway, Plano officials said. Heise was a passenger in the Navigator and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Plano police and Plano Fire-Rescue personnel were called to the crash at about noon on Monday, authorities reported. There were four people in the Lincoln Navigator; three other occupants were taken to a local hospital and the extent of their injuries has not been released. The driver of the Volt was not injured and was not taken to hospital.

Investigators on scene said the Volt lost control after speeding, crossed the median and collided with the northbound Navigator. Plano Police’s Traffic Unit is investigating the collision and officials said speed is believed to have been a factor. Police have not yet said whether the Volt driver will face any charges.

An original report identified Heise as a player for Plano-East High School and the Dallas Penguins, and said the Dallas Stars organization and the hockey community expressed condolences to his family and teammates; those affiliations and organizational condolences were reported by that source and have not been quoted by Plano Police in their initial statements.

A social media post claiming the victim died on June 16 and was a senior at Whitewood School conflicts with multiple news reports that identify Heise as 15 and a Murphy resident. That social-media detail remains unverified and differs from the timeline and age reported by city and law-enforcement sources.

The crash briefly impacted traffic on Independence Parkway; officials routed emergency responders and traffic through the area while crews worked the scene. Plano Police and the City of Plano are the primary sources for official updates on the investigation, and the Traffic Unit has indicated it will release further findings regarding speed and contributing factors as the probe continues.

Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact Plano Police’s Traffic Unit for investigators. Authorities will release additional details, including hospital updates for the injured occupants and any decision on charges, as they are confirmed.