An El Paso community is mourning the death of a 16-year-old girl who died in a car crash near the El Paso Zoo.
Miranda Cisneros, who was a soccer player and student at Jefferson High School, died in a single-vehicle crash on the night of Sept. 17 in the 4000 block of East Paisano Drive, not far from the South-Central school, GoFundMe fundraising pages stated.
The teen was driving a 2006 Chrysler 300 eastbound on Paisano when she lost control, struck a tree and died in the crash, according to an El Paso Police Department news release, which did not reveal the girl’s name.
Miranda Cisneros, 16, shown in a memorial image with angel wings, died when the car she was driving crashed into a tree on East Paisano Drive near the El Paso Zoo on the night of Sept. 17, 2026.
“Miranda Cisneros was formally enrolled in El Paso ISD. We extend our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones during this difficult time,” EPSID spokesman Ernie Chacon said in an email, without answering questions about which school Cisneros attended.
More: El Paso fatal crash tracker 2026
Two GoFundMe pages raising money for funeral expenses identified the girl as Cisneros, showing her in a Jefferson High School soccer uniform. Telemundo Channel 48-KTDO also identified Cisneros as a Jefferson student after speaking to her family.
One GoFundMe page stated that Cisneros’ mother “is facing the heartbreaking loss of her 16-year-old daughter after a car accident.” The single mother works two jobs that do not offer paid time off and faces financial hardship for funeral expenses, the page stated.
Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com and @BorundaDaniel on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Jefferson High student killed in El Paso car crash near zoo mourned