Kansas mother cleared over truck crash that killed two at soccer game

Summarised from 6 outlets · 7 reports · Updated 14 Nov, 14:56 · Archive

A 34-year-old Kansas woman will not face criminal charges after her truck struck spectators at a youth soccer match on 17 October, killing a six-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man.

A 34-year-old woman will not face criminal charges after her pickup truck struck spectators at a youth soccer match on 17 October at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, killing two people and injuring ten others.

The two people killed were six-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, both from McPherson, Kansas. The ten injured ranged in age from five to 68 and were treated at area hospitals. One of the woman's children was playing on the field at the time; two others were with her in the truck.

The woman had driven over 200 miles from her home in Garden City in her husband's Chevrolet pickup. She arrived at the complex around 10:40 a.m., attended games, and left for lunch around 1:20 p.m. She returned about an hour later and parked near the field to take a nap while waiting for one of her children's games. Her 14-year-old daughter placed sunshades over the windshield so people could not see her mother sleeping.

At 3:22 p.m., the truck suddenly moved over a curb and on to the field. Investigators believe the woman, who had risen that morning and driven the long distance to Wichita, had failed to put the truck in park. They concluded she likely pressed the accelerator while asleep and was unable to see because of the sunshade covering the windshield. The woman told detectives she woke to screams from her children and people outside, was disoriented, and tried unsuccessfully to press the brake.

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett released a 28-page report on Thursday announcing no charges would be filed. Toxicology results showed no evidence of intoxication, and investigators found no evidence of an intentional crime. Bennett said: 'I cannot only find no evidence of an intentional crime, I can find affirmative evidence that there was not an intentional crime.' He noted that under Kansas law, negligence alone cannot support vehicular manslaughter charges.

Investigators interviewed more than 30 witnesses and conducted tests with a similar vehicle in the same parking spot. The report stated: 'There is no evidence to support the conclusion that she knew the truck was still in drive, or evidence to explain what motive she would have had to do so.'

Bennett acknowledged the public might find his decision difficult to understand, saying at a news conference: 'If I could charge somebody, why wouldn't I? But I also have an obligation to stand up and say, It's not here.' Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan said: 'Every lead was examined. Every piece of evidence was reviewed. Every reasonable avenue available to us was pursued.'

The woman was released pending the investigation's outcome. The vehicle was examined mechanically to determine how the truck came to be in drive, though investigators could not establish this with certainty.

How it is being reported

• Napping Kansas driver whose truck sped on to soccer field and killed two won’t be chargedAuthorities declined to file charges against napping woman whose truck accelerated on to field during youth game A soccer mom napping in her pickup truck when it suddenly accelerated on to the field at a Kansas youth tournament where her child was playing, killing two people , won’t face criminal charges, a prosecutor has said. Investigators believe the 34-year-old woman had failed to put the Chevrolet 1500 in park and likely put her foot on the gas pedal while sleeping at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita on 17 October. They conducted multiple interviews and even ran a test in the same…Guardian World · 14 Nov, 14:38
• Mom who plowed into soccer field and killed 2 will not face charges, DA saysSedgwick County DA Marc Bennett says negligence alone cannot support vehicular manslaughter charges under Kansas law after the Stryker Complex crash.Fox News · 13 Nov, 17:46
• Mom who fell asleep and accelerated onto soccer field killing two in Wichita won’t be chargedThe 34-year-old woman told detectives she awoke to the screams of both her childrenIndependent World · 13 Nov, 16:31
• Shocking new details in why tired soccer mom appears to have driven onto Kansas field, killing 2“As bad as this was, it was not a crime. I cannot charge this driver with a crime," the DA said.New York Post · 13 Nov, 15:24
• Kansas mother won't be charged after she plowed SUV onto soccer pitch during game, killing child and adult, because she was asleep at the time, cops sayTwo people, including a young child, lost their lives while another ten people were injured after the as-yet-unidentified mother plowed her car onto a Kansas soccer pitchDaily Mail · 13 Nov, 14:48
• Kansas mom who plowed into soccer field after falling asleep, killing 2, won’t face chargesA Kansas mom who killed two people – including a 6-year-old boy – when she crashed her truck into a soccer game will not be charged – as authorities revealed she had gone for a nap before the crash.New York Post · 13 Nov, 10:35
• No charges for driver who plowed truck into field during Kansas youth soccer game, killing 2A district attorney in Kansas said he will not be pressing criminal charges against a woman who drove a pickup truck into spectators and bystanders on the sidelines of a youth soccer match last month. Two people were killed, including a 6-year-old. Tom Hanson has more.CBS News · 13 Nov, 01:54

In this story: Cole Adrian · Nicholas Schafer · Marc Bennett · Sedgwick County District Attorney · Stryker Sports Complex · Wichita · Kansas · McPherson

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log