Driver Who Plowed Into Soccer Field Will Not Face Criminal Charges
A driver who fell asleep at the wheel and plowed a pickup truck into a youth soccer field in Wichita, Kansas, killing two people, will not face criminal charges, according to a report by the Sedgwick County District…
A driver who was asleep at the wheel when her pickup truck plowed onto a youth soccer field, killing a 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old father, will not face criminal charges following an investigation, prosecutors announced (Source ID: 1). The incident occurred on October 17 at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, when the vehicle struck players and spectators, resulting in the deaths of Cole Adrian and Nicholas Schafer, and injuries to several others. The Sedgwick County District Attorney's office released a 28-page report concluding that the crash was the result of 'negligence' rather than a criminal act. [1]
According to the report, the driver left Garden City in her husband’s 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, heading to Wichita for her children’s soccer games. She arrived at the Stryker Sports Complex, attended games, left for two fast-food restaurants and a business, then returned. At 2:36 p.m., she stopped in a parking stall facing a field and later told detectives she believed she put the truck in park, reclined her seat, and went to sleep (Source ID: 1). A child placed sunshades over the windshield, and at 3:22 p.m., the truck moved over the curb and onto the field, striking spectators and killing the two victims, injuring 10 others. [1]
Autopsies revealed that the victims died of blunt trauma 'consistent with being struck by a moving vehicle,' the report said. General Motors technicians examined the truck and found no signs of mechanical malfunction or system failure. The driver's toxicology testing also revealed no evidence of impairing substances, and investigators ruled out a mechanical malfunction and medical emergency (Source ID: 1). [1]
A 28-page report released by Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett concluded that the driver, who was asleep at the wheel when her pickup truck plowed onto a youth soccer field, will not face criminal charges (Source ID: 1). The incident occurred on October 17, 2026, at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, when the driver’s 2021 Chevrolet Silverado struck two victims, killing a 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old father, and injuring 10 others. The report stated that investigators could not determine how the truck came to be in drive, but the driver later told detectives she believed she put the truck in park, reclined her seat, and went to sleep (Source ID: 1). [1]
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Autopsies revealed that the victims died of blunt trauma 'consistent with being struck by a moving vehicle,' the report said (Source ID: 1). Toxicology testing of the driver also revealed no evidence of impairing substances, and investigators ruled out a mechanical malfunction or a medical emergency (Source ID: 1). General Motors technicians examined the truck and found no signs of a mechanical malfunction or system failure (Source ID: 1). [1]
The report noted that Kansas law requires prosecutors to establish that the driver 'knowingly' or 'recklessly' endangered anyone for criminal charges to be considered. The DA concluded that the crash was the result of 'negligence' rather than a criminal act (Source ID: 1). The investigation included over 100 interviews, surveillance footage, cellphone video, toxicology results, and a vehicle reconstruction (Source ID: 1). [1]
A 28-page report released by Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett concluded that the driver, who was asleep at the wheel when her pickup truck plowed onto a youth soccer field, will not face criminal charges (Source ID: 1). The report states that investigators did not find enough evidence to charge the driver, concluding the crash was the result of "negligence" rather than a criminal act. The report noted that Kansas law requires prosecutors to establish that the driver 'knowingly' or 'recklessly' endangered anyone for criminal charges to be considered (Source ID: 1). [1]
According to the report, the driver left Garden City in her husband’s 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, heading to Wichita for her children’s soccer games. Autopsies revealed that the victims died of blunt trauma 'consistent with being struck by a moving vehicle,' the report said (Source ID: 1). The investigation included more than 100 interviews, surveillance footage, cellphone video, toxicology results, and a vehicle reconstruction (Source ID: 1). [1]
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The driver's toxicology testing also revealed no evidence of impairing substances, and investigators ruled out a mechanical malfunction and medical emergency. General Motors technicians examined the truck and found no signs of a mechanical malfunction or system failure (Source ID: 1). The report also says a single act of negligence was insufficient to support a vehicular manslaughter charge under state law (Source ID: 1). [1]
A driver who was asleep at the wheel when her pickup truck plowed onto a youth soccer field, killing a 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old father, will not face criminal charges following an investigation, prosecutors announced (Source ID: 1). The incident occurred on October 17, when the driver left Garden City in her husband’s 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, heading to Wichita for her children’s soccer games. According to the report, the driver arrived at Stryker Sports Complex, attended games, left for two fast-food restaurants and a business, then returned to the parking stall facing a field, where she later told detectives she believed she put the truck in park, reclined her seat, and went to sleep (Source ID: 1). [1]
The truck moved over the curb and onto the field at 3:22 p.m., striking spectators and killing the two victims, injuring 10 others (Source ID: 1). Autopsies revealed that the victims died of blunt trauma 'consistent with being struck by a moving vehicle,' the report said (Source ID: 1). The investigation included more than 100 interviews, surveillance footage, cellphone video, toxicology results, and a vehicle reconstruction (Source ID: 1). [1]
The driver's toxicology testing also revealed no evidence of impairing substances, and investigators ruled out a mechanical malfunction and medical emergency (Source ID: 1). General Motors technicians examined the truck and found no signs of a mechanical malfunction or system failure (Source ID: 1). The report noted that Kansas law requires prosecutors to establish that the driver 'knowingly' or 'recklessly' endangered anyone for criminal charges to be considered (Source ID: 1). [1]
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