A 34-year-old driver who steered a pickup truck onto a crowded youth soccer field in Wichita, Kansas, killing a 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man, was released from custody without charges pending further investigation, police announced Sunday.
The crash took place around 3:25 p.m. Saturday at the Stryker Sports Complex in northeast Wichita. Authorities said the woman was parked in a designated space when her Chevrolet pickup suddenly drove directly onto one of the soccer fields, striking spectators and participants.
The two people killed were identified as Nicholas Schafer, 35, and a 6-year-old boy. Fox News and The Guardian reported the child\’s name as Cole Adrian, while the New York Post reported it as Adrian Cole. Both victims were from McPherson, Kansas, located about an hour north of Wichita. Police confirmed the two were not related.
Ten other people sustained non-life-threatening injuries, including five children ranging in age from 5 to 9 and five adults aged 28 to 68. An 11th person, a 61-year-old woman, was hospitalized for medical complications unrelated to traumatic injuries, authorities said.
Investigation Continues Into Cause of Crash
Wichita police said the driver, a resident of Garden City, Kansas, had two of her children inside the pickup truck during the incident. A third child was playing soccer on a different field at the complex. When the crash occurred, bystanders rushed to pull the driver from the vehicle and administer first aid to the wounded before emergency crews arrived.
Investigators interviewed more than 30 witnesses, including the children who were inside the pickup. Police said the driver possessed a valid driver\’s license, had no active arrest warrants and cooperated with detectives.
After consulting with the Sedgwick County District Attorney\’s Office, police released the woman from custody. Officials stated that no charges have been filed while investigators await the results of toxicology screenings and a full mechanical inspection of the vehicle.
“We know what happened, but now we\’re working very hard to find out why it happened,” Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan told reporters.
Community Mourns Amid Cancellations
The tragedy prompted the immediate shutdown of activities across the complex. The Kansas State High School Activities Association suspended play in its inaugural girls flag football state championship tournament, which was underway on an adjacent field, announcing that games would not resume over the weekend.
Leadership at the Stryker Sports Complex cancelled all scheduled events until further notice, asking the public to stay clear of the grounds to facilitate emergency operations and ongoing investigations.
Youth soccer organizations and local leaders in McPherson and Wichita expressed grief over the weekend. In McPherson, competitive youth soccer club McPherson City FC described the loss as an unimaginable tragedy and requested privacy for grieving families, while municipal officials urged community solidarity.
“Our hearts are with the families of Adrian and Nicholas as they face an unimaginable loss,” Sullivan said in a statement. “What should have been a day of children playing soccer and families spending time together ended in tragedy.”
The district attorney\’s office told Fox News Digital that police are scheduled to present their initial case findings to District Attorney Marc Bennett early this week, after which prosecutors will decide on any potential legal action.
