A six-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man who are unrelated were tragically killed when a woman driving a black pickup truck plowed through a youth soccer game in Kansas. The terrifying scene unfolded on Saturday, October 17, shortly before 3:30 p.m. at Wichita’s Stryker Sports Complex, where nearly a dozen other individuals were also injured, per NBC News.
Families now want answers after the woman behind the wheel, a 34-year-old from Garden City, Kansas, who has yet to be identified, was released from police custody “after police consulted with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office,” and has not been charged with a crime.
Who Are the Victims?
The two individuals who died after a pickup truck drove through a youth soccer game in Kansas have been identified as six-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer.
Cole’s father, Chris Adrian, a middle school soccer coach, shared a message with the New York Times about the tragedy of losing his son. “Cole was an incredible kid and could put a smile on anyone’s face,” he wrote, adding, “He was the joy and light of our community. His pure heart was open to everyone. He had the best laugh. He was a friend with everyone, young or old.”
A remembrance post on Facebook by The Daily Dossier featured two photos of Cole and noted that he recently celebrated his sixth birthday and came from a soccer family. “He loved playing soccer himself, just like his big brother and sister, and on Saturday he was there cheering on his big brother at his game,” it read.
According to The Guardian, the other victim, Nicholas Schafer, had also just marked a milestone: 14 years of marriage to his wife, Ashley. The couple shared three children, with a GoFundMe set up by friends stating, “The family of Nick & Ashley Schafer have suffered tremendous loss, immense pain, & devastation, forever changing their futures.”
The two victims were not related to one another but were both residents of McPherson, Kansas.
NBC News reported that 10 other individuals were also hit by the pickup truck but suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Those individuals ranged in age from 5 to 68.
Witnesses Share Their Accounts of that Terrifying Day
Erica Case, who was watching her 9-year-old son’s soccer game from an adjacent field, described the scene that day. “I saw the truck hitting things. I saw debris flying in the air. I don’t know if it was a cone, a chair or a person, but you could see matter flying as the truck was barreling through the soccer field at a decent rate of speed,” she shared.
She continued, “The moment that I recognized that that wasn’t gunshots, that that was bodies, I lost it. I lost it because it wasn’t just adults. It was also children.”
David Griekspoor was also at the sporting complex with his nephew when he witnessed the frightening incident. “You look up, and you just see the truck going through a line of people,” he said.
Why The Horrific Incident May Be Ruled an Accident
New details are emerging as to what could have caused the 34-year-old woman to plow through the soccer field that day, and why it’s believed that it could have been just a horrific accident.
According to a report by Inside Edition, a theory is that the woman, who also had two children in the vehicle, was parked near the field when her pickup suddenly “lunged forward.” She may not have been able to see what was in front of her because the windshield appeared to be obstructed by a sunshade. Photos of the black pickup truck appear to show a sunshade covering most of the windshield.
Witnesses heard the woman crying, “What have I done?” And she was later seen on video, handcuffed and taken by the police. As previously mentioned, the woman was later released, and the incident is reportedly being investigated as an accident.
Police will continue their investigation and are awaiting toxicology results. Investigators are also examining the woman’s pickup truck to determine whether any mechanical issues may have contributed to what happened.
Families Want Answers After Truck Drives Onto Youth Soccer Field, Killing 2