WICHITA, Kan. — Investigators in Kansas continued working Monday to determine why a pickup truck suddenly surged onto a youth soccer field over the weekend, killing a 6-year-old boy and an adult spectator and injuring 10 others.
The incident occurred Saturday afternoon at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita. Emergency responders received calls around 3:25 p.m. reporting that a Chevrolet pickup truck had driven directly through crowds watching a match, according to the Wichita Police Department.
Police identified the victims who died as 6-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, both from McPherson, Kansas, located about an hour north of Wichita. Authorities noted the two victims were unrelated and were pronounced dead at the scene.
Cole’s father, middle school soccer coach Chris Adrian, remembered his son as “the joy and light of our community,” according to a text message reported by The New York Times and cited by The Guardian. Schafer, a father of three, had celebrated his 14th wedding anniversary with his wife in May, according to social media posts cited by outlets.
Driver released pending investigation
Police said a 34-year-old woman from Garden City, Kansas, was behind the wheel of the vehicle. Two of her three children were inside the pickup when the crash occurred, while a third child was playing soccer on another field at the venue, ABC News reported.
Authorities took the driver into custody initially but released her Sunday without filing charges after consulting with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office. Police officials stated that the woman remained cooperative and was released pending the results of toxicology screenings and a full mechanical inspection of the truck.
“We know what happened, but now we’re working very hard to find out why it happened, and we’re not there yet,” Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan told reporters, as reported by ABC News.
Witnesses described a scene of sudden chaos. Erica Case told NBC News she heard an engine revving before seeing the truck barrel across the field and send debris into the air. David Griekspoor told NBC News the impact sounded like gunfire before he spotted the vehicle traveling through a line of spectators.
Mass-casualty response and security measures
Dispatch logs obtained by Fox News showed that first responders treated the scene as a mass-casualty incident. Bystanders rendered first aid and performed CPR until paramedics arrived.
In addition to the two fatalities, 10 people sustained physical injuries ranging from minor bruising to critical trauma. The injured included five children between the ages of 5 and 9, as well as five adults ranging in age from 28 to 68, police said. A 61-year-old woman was also hospitalized for an unrelated medical condition.
Officials in McPherson and Wichita expressed grief following the tragedy. “To the families who lost someone: this whole town is grieving with you, and we will stand with you for as long as it takes,” McPherson Mayor Jim Loving said in a statement reported by Fox News.
The Stryker Sports Complex remained closed through Monday, with plans to reopen Tuesday afternoon, local station KWCH reported. Wichita city officials announced that public works crews began installing temporary protective barriers at key points around the complex while permanent safety measures are evaluated. Police will maintain a presence at the facility through the upcoming weekend, and local agency COMCARE was scheduled to provide on-site mental health counseling for affected families.
