A Saturday afternoon of kids’ soccer turned into horror when a pickup truck tore across the field, striking children and adults.
The truck drove through a youth soccer game in Wichita, Kan., on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, killing a six-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man.
Police identified them Sunday, Oct. 18, as Cole Adrian, six, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, both of McPherson, Kan. The two were not related. Both were pronounced dead at Stryker Sports Complex, at 29th and Greenwich in northeast Wichita, where first responders arrived after multiple 911 calls around 3:25 p.m. Eleven other people were taken to hospitals.
“We know what happened, but now we’re working very hard to find out why it happened, and we’re not there yet,” Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan told reporters.
Why the Driver Walked Free
The driver stayed with the truck and was taken into custody, a 34-year-old woman from Garden City, Kan., whose name police have not released. After interviews and consultation with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, she was let go pending the results of toxicology testing and a mechanical examination of the Chevrolet. As of Monday, Oct. 19, she had not been charged, and the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office said it would conduct an initial review of the crash.
Whether the crash was intentional is not clear, and police have not said why it happened. A preliminary investigation indicated the woman had been parked near the soccer fields before she drove the pickup into the area.
Two children were inside the truck with her. Wichita police Capt. Aaron Moses said one of her children had a game at the complex, on a different field from the one where the crash happened. Moses described her as cooperative with investigators. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office pushed back on false social media posts claiming one of its deputies had been driving.
A Witness Who Cannot Understand It
David Griekspoor was at the complex watching his nephew play. He and his family rushed in to help the wounded, and all of them are safe. Of the driver’s release, Griekspoor said: “For her to be free when so many people went through so much … it just doesn’t make sense.”
Investigators have interviewed more than 30 witnesses, among them the two juveniles who were in the pickup, and have asked anyone with photos or video of the crash to send them to police. When officers reached the field, the truck was on its west end and bystanders were already helping the injured. Sullivan credited those bystanders with giving aid before first responders arrived.
Children as Young as Five Among the Injured
Ten of the people taken to hospitals had traumatic injuries: five children, ages five to nine, and five adults, ranging from a 28-year-old woman to a 68-year-old man. Police listed a five-year-old girl, a five-year-old boy, two eight-year-old boys, a nine-year-old girl, a 28-year-old woman, a 32-year-old man, a 59-year-old woman, a 65-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man.
A 61-year-old woman was also hospitalized, with medical complications unrelated to the truck, bringing the total transported to 11. The injuries run from bruises to extremely severe, police said, but all are believed to be non-life-threatening.
Barriers Go Up as a City Grieves
Wichita canceled all events at the sports complex after the crash. On Monday, Oct. 19, the city said crews were installing temporary barriers around the complex, which is set to reopen at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20. Mayor Lily Wu called the day heartbreaking for the city and said families had come to Stryker Sports Complex for a Saturday afternoon of children’s soccer. Gov. Laura Kelly said she was monitoring the situation and was in touch with the mayor, and she offered condolences to the families of the victims, the survivors and everyone affected.
U.S. Soccer said in a statement on social media Sunday, Oct. 18, that it was heartbroken and would work closely with Wichita Youth Soccer to figure out how best to support the community. Police said investigators are still working to determine the circumstances that led to the crash, and they asked the public for patience.