Pickup Truck Plows Onto Kansas Youth Soccer Field: Boy, 6, and a Man Killed, 10 Injured; Driver Released Without Charges

A 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man were killed when a pickup truck drove onto a field during a youth soccer game in Wichita, Kansas, in the United States. Ten other people were injured, including five children. The tragedy on Saturday afternoon has cast a pall of grief over the entire area.

Wichita police on Sunday identified those killed as Cole Adrian, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, both of McPherson, Kansas. Police said they were not related. Both died on the field despite lifesaving efforts.

The crash happened at about 3:25 p.m. on Saturday at the Stryker Sports Complex. According to police, the Chevrolet pickup drove from a parking space straight onto the field, where a youth soccer game was under way.

The driver was a 34-year-old woman. Two of her children were inside the pickup at the time of the crash, and another of her children was playing soccer on a different field at the complex. She was initially taken into custody, but police released her on Sunday without charges.

Police said her release is pending toxicology results and a mechanical examination of her pickup. The decision followed interviews with more than 30 witnesses, including the children inside the truck, and consultation with the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office.

Investigators have not yet determined what caused the deadly crash. Authorities have not confirmed whether it was intentional, or whether a medical emergency, impairment or another factor was involved.

The district attorney's office said police are expected to make an initial case presentation to District Attorney Marc Bennett early this week. 'Following that initial case review, our office will share information as appropriate,' the office said.

The 10 injured people were taken to Ascension Via Christi and Wesley Medical Center, and police said on Sunday that their injuries were noncritical. The injured children included a 5-year-old girl, a 5-year-old boy, two 8-year-old boys and a 9-year-old girl. The five injured adults ranged in age from 28 to 68. An additional woman, 61, was hospitalized for medical complications unrelated to traumatic injuries, bringing the total number transported to 11.

Emergency crews raced to the sports complex in northeast Wichita after the crash, while bystanders had already stepped forward to help the injured. On an adjacent field, the Kansas State High School Activities Association's inaugural girls flag football state championship was taking place; the association suspended play and said games would not resume that weekend.

Sporting Wichita Academy said the tragedy had shaken a soccer community built around families and teammates, thanking first responders, medical workers and bystanders who helped. 'Soccer is more than a game. It is a community. It is families in the stands, teammates standing beside one another, and people who come together through a shared love of the game. Today, that community is hurting, and we must lean on one another more than ever,' the academy wrote on Facebook.

Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan offered condolences to the families on Sunday. 'What should have been a day of children playing soccer and families spending time together ended in tragedy,' he said. 'We are also thinking about those who were injured, their loved ones and everyone who witnessed what happened. We know this tragedy has affected many people throughout our community, and we want those families to know they are not alone.'

A local restaurant, Meddys, has stepped in to help the grieving families. It pledged to donate 20% of all revenue from its Wichita and Salina locations from October 18 through October 24 to the affected families, and offered free meals to the immediate families of the injured for as long as their loved ones remain hospitalized. The business also partnered with the local nonprofit Kingdom Athletics Mission to receive and distribute donations to the affected McPherson families.

At Saturday's news conference, Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses said the driver had a valid license, no outstanding arrest warrants, and was cooperating with investigators. Chief Sullivan pointed to the unanswered question facing investigators: 'We know what happened, but now we're working very hard to find out why it happened,' he said on Saturday.

Police are asking anyone with information about the crash to call investigators at 316-268-4407; anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111. Whether the released driver ultimately faces any charges now depends on the toxicology and mechanical examination results and on the district attorney's decision.