Pickup truck drives onto youth soccer field in Wichita, killing a boy, 6, and a man, 35
In short
A pickup truck drove onto a field during a youth soccer game at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, on Saturday, killing a 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man, police said. Ten others were injured. The 34-year-old woman driver was taken into custody and then released pending toxicology and mechanical testing; no charges have been filed.
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A pickup truck drove onto a field during a youth soccer game at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, on Saturday, killing a 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man, police said. Police said 911 calls began around 3:25 p.m. local time. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 12 ]
Police identified the dead on Sunday as Cole Adrian, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, both of McPherson, Kansas. They were not related. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. CNN reported that police had originally reversed the boy's first and last name in a release. Chris Adrian, a middle school soccer coach, said his family was heartbroken over losing his six-year-old son, Cole, according to The Guardian. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 12 , 32 ]
Police said 10 people were injured, including five children aged 5 to 9 and five adults aged 28 to 68. Injuries ranged from bruises to extremely severe injuries, though none appeared to be life-threatening. A 61-year-old woman was also taken to hospital with medical complications unrelated to traumatic injuries, bringing the total sent to local hospitals to 11, police said. Outlets variously reported 10 or 11 people injured. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 12 ]
The driver is a 34-year-old woman from Garden City, Kansas. She was taken into custody and then released after investigators interviewed witnesses and consulted the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office, pending the results of toxicology testing and a mechanical examination of her vehicle, police said. No charges have been filed. Police Capt. Aaron Moses described her as cooperative. NBC News reported that she has not been publicly identified. Newsweek had earlier reported that she remained in police custody. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 12 ]
Two juveniles were in the truck. CNN reported that two of the woman's children were with her and another was playing soccer on a different field at the complex. Police said the truck had been parked near the soccer fields before it went onto one of them. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 12 ]
Moses said officials were still working to determine how and why it happened. CBS News and NBC News reported that it is unclear whether the incident was intentional. More than 30 witnesses were interviewed, and police set up a portal for people to submit video evidence. The district attorney's office said in a statement on Monday that it plans an initial review of the case later in the week. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 12 , 16 ]
The city of Wichita said all events at the soccer complex were canceled until further notice. Mayor Lily Wu said, "Today is a heartbreaking day for Wichita." Police Chief Joe Sullivan called it an "unimaginable loss" in a statement. The Kansas State High School Activities Association suspended play at its girls flag football state championship following the incident. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 , 12 ]
Why it matters
Police say they are still working to determine how and why the truck entered the field, and it is unclear whether it was intentional. The district attorney's office plans an initial review of the case, and all events at the complex are canceled until further notice.
Key facts
- A pickup truck drove onto a field at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, during a youth soccer game on Saturday, with 911 calls beginning around 3:25 p.m. local time. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- Police identified the dead as 6-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, both of McPherson, Kansas, who were not related. [ 4 , 5 , 12 ]
- Police said 10 people were injured, including five children aged 5 to 9, with injuries ranging from bruises to extremely severe injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. [ 1 , 4 , 12 ]
- A 61-year-old woman was also taken to hospital with medical complications unrelated to traumatic injuries, bringing the number sent to hospitals to 11. [ 4 , 6 ]
- The driver, a 34-year-old woman from Garden City, was released pending toxicology testing and a mechanical examination of the vehicle; no charges have been filed. [ 4 , 5 , 12 ]
- Two juveniles were inside the truck when it went onto the field. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 12 ]
- The city said all events at the soccer complex are canceled until further notice. [ 5 , 8 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Two people, a 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man, were killed when a truck drove onto a youth soccer field in Wichita, Kansas. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 12 ]
- The dead were named by police as Cole Adrian and Nicholas Schafer, both of McPherson, Kansas. [ 4 , 5 , 12 ]
- The driver is a 34-year-old woman from Garden City, Kansas, who was taken into custody and later released pending toxicology testing and a mechanical examination of the vehicle. [ 4 , 5 , 12 ]
- No charges had been filed, according to police. [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]
- Police described the driver as cooperative with the investigation. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Two juveniles were inside the truck at the time. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 12 ]
- More than 30 witnesses were interviewed. [ 3 , 4 , 12 ]
- The city canceled all events at the soccer complex until further notice. [ 5 , 8 ]
Still unclear
- Why the truck went onto the field and whether it was intentional. Police said they are still working to determine how and why it happened, and two outlets said it is unclear whether it was intentional.
- Whether the driver will be charged. She was released without charges pending toxicology results and a mechanical examination; the district attorney's office planned an initial review of the case later in the week.
- The driver's identity. Outlets reported that police had not publicly named her.
- Whether the driver was still in custody. An early report said she remained in police custody, while later reports said she was released.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Sedgwick County 911 began receiving calls that a vehicle had driven through a soccer game at Stryker Sports Complex, according to police. [ 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- The New York Post reported on Sunday that the unidentified 34-year-old driver had been released without charges pending toxicology and mechanical testing, Wichita police said. [ 18 ]