Zero Charges: Sedgwick County DA Declines to Prosecute Driver in Wichita Soccer Field Crash

A 34-year-old woman who drove her truck through a youth soccer field in Wichita, Kansas, will not face criminal charges, local officials announced on Thursday.

The incident occurred on October 17 at the Stryker Sports Complex. The vehicle struck a field during a match at approximately 3:30 p.m. The crash killed Cole Adrian, a 6-year-old boy, and Nicholas Schafer, a 35-year-old man. Ten other people were injured.

The driver had been sleeping in her husband’s truck before the accident. She arrived at the complex in the morning from Garden City, which is 200 miles away. She used her husband’s vehicle because her own car had tire pressure issues. She told her children she would take a nap and reclined her seat.

One of her sons, a 14-year-old, placed an umbrella on the windshield to provide privacy. The other son went to warm up for a game. The truck was parked in a marked space with a 7-inch curb in front of it. The vehicle was aligned with the sideline of the soccer field.

Officials stated that the driver woke up to hear her children screaming. She described feeling disoriented upon waking. She reached for the steering wheel and saw the umbrellas on the windshield. She attempted to move them out of the way. The truck then accelerated toward the field.

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said investigators found no evidence of an intentional crime. He noted that witnesses described the driver as appearing sleepy and in a state of shock when they approached the vehicle. Bennett said the woman was crying and asking what she had done.

Police Chief Joe Sullivan said the investigation reviewed every piece of evidence. The woman consented to a blood test, which showed no intoxicating substances. Engineers inspected the truck and found no mechanical failures or recall issues. Sullivan said the team followed every lead.

Investigators considered two main theories for how the truck moved. The first was that the driver accidentally shifted from park to drive while sleeping. Bennett noted this was unlikely because shifting requires pressing the brake and produces an audible sound. The second theory was that the vehicle was not fully in park. The curb may have allowed the truck to roll forward if the driver’s foot rested on the accelerator.

Police conducted a recreation using a truck of the same make and model. An officer of similar build sat in the driver’s seat. The test showed the truck could rest against the curb without climbing onto it. One child told investigators that the mother shifted from her back to her side while sleeping. Officials believe her foot may have moved forward and pressed the gas pedal.

Officials spoke with the families of the victims and the injured before the press conference. Sullivan said the community will carry the weight of that day. The driver’s identity has not been made public.

Neither victim was related to the driver. Both lived in McPherson, Kansas. Arbiters, coaches, and witnesses reported no conflicts with the woman prior to the crash.