Wichita soccer field crash driver will not face criminal charges, DA says

A woman who drove a truck onto a soccer field at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, on Oct. 17 will not face criminal charges, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said at a news conference Thursday.

The crash killed Cole Adrian, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, both of McPherson, Kansas. NBC News reported that 10 others were injured. ABC News reported that 11 others were injured.

Investigation findings

Bennett said he found no evidence of an intentional crime and said there was affirmative evidence that there was not an intentional crime. The driver was apparently asleep before the incident, according to authorities.

The woman had driven her husband’s truck from Garden City, Kansas, around 200 miles away, to the sports complex where her children had games. She was not in her usual vehicle because hers had tire air pressure issues, according to NBC News.

She and her children arrived at Stryker Sports around 10:40 a.m., according to ABC News. The driver and the children left around 1:20 p.m. to get lunch and run errands, then returned about an hour later. The driver pulled into a parking spot near one of the fields, reclined the seat, and decided to take a nap, according to the DA. While she slept, her daughter placed sunshields over the windshield.

Investigators were unable to determine if the truck was placed in park between the time the driver took the nap and the time of the incident, which occurred less than an hour later, according to ABC News.

Police statements

Bennett said investigators considered whether the driver may have been asleep and moved in her sleep, shifting the vehicle from park into drive. He said that was possible but unlikely because changing gears would require the foot to be on the brake and the gear shift is loud. The other scenario was that the truck was not placed in park and the driver did not realize it, later accelerating.

Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan said a recreation with a similar make and model showed that a truck left in drive would rest at the 7-inch curb but would not go over it unless gas was applied.

“The truck could be parked in that parking spot against that seven-inch curb, and if left in drive, would not go over that curb,” Sullivan said, according to ABC News. “It was only when gas was applied ... would those tires overtake the curb.”

The driver told police she believes she put the vehicle in park. She was cooperative and voluntarily gave blood after the crash, which tested negative for any intoxicating substances, Sullivan said. Police examined her medical records, reviewed her social media, and had a General Motors engineer and technician examine the vehicle for mechanical failures. No mechanical problems were found, and the vehicle was not under any recalls, according to NBC News.

No charges

Bennett said the matter is a civil matter that will be handled under a negligence standard, which is the standard in civil cases, according to ABC News.

“It is my solemn responsibility to stand before the community and say, as bad as this was, it is not a crime,” Bennett said during the news conference, according to ABC News.

Sullivan said the investigation was thorough and fact-driven, and that “every lead was examined, every piece of evidence was reviewed.” He added, “There are some questions we may never be able to answer with complete certainty.”

The families of the victims and those injured were contacted by police and the district attorney’s office before the news conference, officials said.

Why it matters

The decision means the driver will not face criminal prosecution for the Oct. 17 crash that killed two people and injured multiple others at a youth soccer game in Wichita. The case will be handled as a civil matter under a negligence standard if pursued by the families.

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Sources

• nbcnews.com: Woman who drove onto Kansas soccer field, killing 2, won’t be charged, officials say
• abcnews.com: Driver who crashed into Wichita, Kansas, soccer game, killing 2 won't be charged: DA - ABC News
• kwch.com: McPherson residents reflect on Stryker crash after decision not to charge driver

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.