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A driver whose pickup truck plowed onto a youth soccer field, killing a young boy and a father, will not face criminal charges following an investigation, prosecutors announced.
Last month, the driver, who has not been identified by authorities, drove into players and spectators at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas. Adrian Cole, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, were both killed and several others were injured in the Oct. 17 incident.
On Thursday, a 28-page report released by Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said investigators did not find enough evidence to charge the driver, concluding the crash was the result of “negligence” rather than a criminal act.
Cole Adrian, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, were killed when a driver plowed into them on a youth soccer field in Wichita, Kansas. (Stockham Family Funeral home; Wiggins Funeral Homes and Cremation Services)
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“The reasonable conclusion is that, while she slept, her foot unintentionally hit the gas pedal while the truck was in gear,” the report says. Investigators could not determine exactly how the truck came to be in drive.
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Two people, including a 6-year-old boy, were killed after a pickup truck drove through a youth soccer game at the Striker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (REUTERS)
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Timeline of events leading up to and following deadly incident:
Oct. 17
7 a.m.: The driver left Garden City in her husband’s 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, heading to Wichita for her children’s soccer games.
10:40 a.m.–2:30 p.m.: She arrived at Stryker Sports Complex, attended games, left for two fast-food restaurants and a business, then returned.
2:36 p.m.: She stopped in a parking stall facing a field. She later told detectives she believed she put the truck in park, reclined her seat and went to sleep. A child placed sunshades over the windshield.
3:22 p.m.: The truck moved over the curb and onto the field, striking spectators and killing the two victims, injuring 10 others.
- 7 a.m.: The driver left Garden City in her husband’s 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, heading to Wichita for her children’s soccer games.
- 10:40 a.m.–2:30 p.m.: She arrived at Stryker Sports Complex, attended games, left for two fast-food restaurants and a business, then returned.
- 2:36 p.m.: She stopped in a parking stall facing a field. She later told detectives she believed she put the truck in park, reclined her seat and went to sleep. A child placed sunshades over the windshield.
- 3:22 p.m.: The truck moved over the curb and onto the field, striking spectators and killing the two victims, injuring 10 others.
- Oct. 19: Autopsies found that the victims died of blunt trauma “consistent with being struck by a moving vehicle,” the report said.
- Oct. 28: General Motors technicians examined the truck and found no signs of a mechanical malfunction or system failure.
- Nov. 12: District Attorney Marc Bennett released the report and concluded that Kansas law did not support criminal charges.
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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.
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Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, where two people, including a child, were killed after a vehicle drove onto a soccer field Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (Google Maps)
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Prosecutors could not establish that the driver “knowingly” or “recklessly” endangered anyone, which is required by Kansas law for criminal charges the be considered.
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The report also says a single act of negligence was insufficient to support a vehicular manslaughter charge under state law.
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The investigation included more than 100 interviews, surveillance footage, cellphone video, toxicology results and a vehicle reconstruction.
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Police responded to the Striker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, after a pickup truck drove through a youth soccer game, leaving two people dead and 11 others hospitalized. (REUTERS)
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An obituary for Adrian said “He was full of life, humor, and an unmistakable vibrancy that drew people to him. A natural jokester, Cole loved making people laugh and was always ready with a joke or playful comment. He had a special gift for making friends with everyone, regardless of age, and genuinely loved connecting with the people around him.”
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An obituary for Schafer said, “Nick was a proud Navy veteran who served his country with honor. He had a deep love for the outdoors and found happiness in the beauty of nature and the time he spent outside with his children.”
