A woman whose pickup truck drove onto a youth soccer field at Wichita’s Stryker Sports Complex, killing two people and injuring 11 others, will not face criminal charges, authorities announced Thursday, November 12, 2026.
Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett and Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan shared the findings after a weeks-long investigation into the October 17 tragedy. Investigators determined that the driver was apparently asleep before the truck moved onto the field.
The victims were identified as 6-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, both from McPherson, Kansas. They were among the people attending youth soccer activities when the pickup entered the playing area.
According to investigators, the 34-year-old woman had traveled more than 200 miles from her home in Garden City, Kansas, to attend her children’s soccer games. She was driving her husband’s Chevrolet pickup because her regular vehicle had tire problems.
The family arrived at the Stryker Sports Complex at approximately 10:40 a.m. After leaving for lunch and errands around 1:20 p.m., the woman returned with her children roughly an hour later.
She parked near one of the soccer fields and decided to take a nap. Investigators said she reclined her driver’s seat into a horizontal position while one of her children placed sunshades over the windshield.
Authorities could not establish whether the truck had been placed in park before the woman fell asleep. They also examined the possibility that she accidentally pressed the accelerator while sleeping.
Police Chief Sullivan explained that a seven-inch curb initially prevented the truck from moving out of its parking space, even if its transmission had been left in drive. Applying the accelerator would have allowed the vehicle to cross the curb.
Investigators considered whether the driver shifted the vehicle into drive while asleep or accidentally accelerated after leaving it in drive. However, available evidence did not establish exactly how the truck began moving.
The investigation included witness interviews, surveillance footage, vehicle forensic examinations and medical testing. Authorities said the driver was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs and did not experience a medical episode.
A mechanical examination also found no vehicle malfunction that could have caused the crash. Investigators found no evidence that the woman intentionally drove into the soccer field.
Bennett said prosecutors could not establish the evidence needed to pursue criminal charges. He described the incident as a civil matter that would be evaluated under negligence standards rather than treated as an intentional criminal act.
The district attorney’s announcement followed meetings with the victims’ families. Sullivan acknowledged the devastating impact of the incident and said investigators wanted to provide families with a clearer understanding of what happened.
The crash at the Stryker Sports Complex shocked the Wichita community and raised serious concerns about safety at youth sporting events. The incident occurred while children and families were gathered for soccer matches in northeast Wichita.
