Two killed after pickup truck drives through Wichita youth soccer game

Oct 19, 6:52 PM2 min readCovered by 5 outlets

Drafted by AI from the sources below, fact-checked by the Ajako Taja Editorial Team · How we use AI

AI Summary

A pickup truck plowed through a youth soccer match in Kansas, killing a child and a man while injuring ten others at the Stryker Sports Complex.

A 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man died after a pickup truck drove onto a field during a youth soccer game at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas.

The incident occurred shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Saturday when a dark Chevrolet pickup barreled through a field where children and adults were gathered, according to Wichita police. NBC News identified the deceased as Cole Adrian, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, both of whom were from McPherson, Kansas, though police confirmed they were not related to one another.

Ten other individuals, ranging in age from 5 to 68, were struck and hospitalized with injuries described as non-life-threatening. Witnesses reported hearing an engine revving followed by the sound of impacts. One witness told The Guardian the truck plowed through the fields for 100 to 200 yards before stopping, while others described seeing debris and bodies flying into the air as bystanders rushed to perform CPR.

The driver, identified by Fox News and NBC News as a 34-year-old woman from Garden City, Kansas, was taken into police custody at the scene. Authorities stated two juveniles were inside the vehicle during the collision. While initially detained, Reuters reported that the driver was later released after police consulted with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, and no charges have been filed yet.

Police believe the woman had a child playing soccer at the complex that day, though on a different field. While ten people were treated for traumatic injuries, Fox News noted an eleventh person, a 61-year-old woman, was also transported to the hospital for a nontraumatic medical issue. Wichita Mayor Lily Wu expressed her heartbreak on social media, and the city canceled all events at the sports complex until further notice.

Background

The Stryker Sports Complex was hosting multiple events at the time, including the inaugural girls flag football state championship on an adjacent field, which the Kansas State High School Activities Association suspended following the collision.