No Charges for Driver Whose Pickup Ploughed onto Kansas Soccer Field, Killing a Child and a Father
The driver whose pickup truck ploughed onto a youth soccer field in Wichita, Kansas, killing a young boy and a father, will not face criminal charges, prosecutors have announced following an investigation.
The incident happened last month, on October 17. The truck drove into players and spectators at the Stryker Sports Complex. Adrian Cole, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, were both killed. Several others were injured; the report put the number injured at 10.
On Thursday, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett released a 28-page report. It said investigators did not find enough evidence to charge the driver, concluding the crash was the result of negligence rather than a criminal act.
The report said the reasonable conclusion is that, while she slept, her foot unintentionally hit the gas pedal while the truck was in gear. Investigators could not determine exactly how the truck came to be in drive. Authorities have not identified the driver.
The report set out a timeline for the day. At 7 a.m. the driver left Garden City in her husband's 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, heading to Wichita for her children's soccer games.
From 10:40 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. she attended games at the Stryker Sports Complex, left for two fast-food restaurants and a business, then returned. At 2:36 p.m. she stopped in a parking stall facing a field.
She later told detectives she believed she put the truck in park, reclined her seat and went to sleep. A child placed sunshades over the windshield.
At 3:22 p.m. the truck moved over the curb and onto the field, striking spectators and killing the two victims.
The driver's toxicology testing revealed no evidence of impairing substances. Investigators also ruled out a mechanical malfunction and a medical emergency.
The investigation included more than 100 interviews, surveillance footage, cellphone video, toxicology results and a vehicle reconstruction.
Prosecutors could not establish that the driver knowingly or recklessly endangered anyone, which Kansas law requires for criminal charges to be considered. The report also said a single act of negligence was insufficient to support a vehicular manslaughter charge under state law.
An obituary for Adrian said he was full of life and humour, with a special gift for making friends with everyone. An obituary for Schafer said Nick was a proud Navy veteran who served his country with honour and loved the outdoors and time spent outside with his children.
