Wichita police have taken to social media to shut down swirling rumors surrounding a horrific Kansas soccer field crash that claimed the lives of a six-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man and left 10 others injured.
The Wichita Police Department issued a fresh update over the October 17 tragedy, debunking speculation about the legal and criminal status of the unidentified driver and explaining why she has not been charged yet as due to detectives lack of probable cause – despite the deaths and injuries of many.
The devastating incident unfolded on October 17 at approximately 3.25pm at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, when a truck plowed through a soccer field during a match, triggering multiple frantic 911 calls as screams rang out across the pitch.
Cole Adrian, six, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, both from McPherson, were killed at the scene. Ten more people, ranging in age from five to 68, were injured and rushed to area hospitals.
The driver allegedly shouted, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, what have I done?’ when ripped from the vehicle by bystanders at the event, according to the New York Post.
A witness told local television station 12 News that the ‘black pickup truck came plowing through the youth soccer fields, hitting multiple people before stopping 100-200 yards down the fields.’
Shortly after bystanders pulled the driver from the vehicle, police were seen on video walking a woman in handcuffs toward their patrol car across the grass.
The Garden City native was released without charges on Sunday afternoon pending a toxicology test and a mechanical examination of the vehicle, according to police.
Now, as grieving families await answers, detectives are working to piece together exactly what happened while pushing back against a wave of online scrutiny around why she has not yet been charged.
The driver, a 34-year-old mother from Garden City, had two of her children in the back of the Chevrolet pickup truck at the time of the incident, and her third child had been playing in a game on a different field. She has since continued to comply with investigators.
Despite the deaths and injuries, police said detectives did not have probable cause to arrest her after consulting the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office on Sunday morning. She was released as the investigation continued.
Authorities stressed that her release does not mean a final decision has been made on whether criminal charges should be brought.
Detectives have conducted nearly 50 interviews and are examining the truck, analyzing available vehicle data and reviewing evidence from the scene in an effort to establish what led to the tragedy.
In their latest statement, police directly confronted rumors spreading online, including allegations about the driver’s immigration status and supposed links to law enforcement.
Claims that the woman was in the United States illegally were false, according to information available to investigators, the department said.
Police also insisted that neither the woman nor her husband was, or had ever been, associated with the Wichita Police Department, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office or any other law enforcement agency known to investigators.
The driver has no documented criminal history, according to detectives. She also had a valid driver’s license and no outstanding arrest warrants.
Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan acknowledged the nationwide attention surrounding the case, saying people were drawing conclusions despite having no direct knowledge of the circumstances.
‘We know that this case has captured the attention of people all over the country, and many of those people have strong opinions about the incident even though they do not have direct knowledge of what occurred,’ Sullivan said.
He defended the decision not to arrest the driver, acknowledging that the move might prove unpopular but insisting that investigators must follow the law.
‘We swear an oath to support the laws of the State of Kansas and the Constitution of the United States and no one in the Wichita Police Department takes that oath for granted,’ he added.
The department has not publicly named the driver, explaining that it does not identify people involved in investigations who have not been arrested or charged.
Meanwhile, detectives are working with the Regional Forensic Science Center and awaiting official, peer-reviewed toxicology results as they continue their painstaking examination of the evidence.
Police warned that the spread of unverified claims risked compounding the anguish of families mourning two loved ones while 10 other victims recover from their injuries.
‘Spreading rumors and unverified accusations adds confusion, causes further pain for grieving families and harms people who have no connection to this case,’ the department said.
The investigation remains ongoing, with detectives preparing to submit their findings to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, which will decide whether criminal charges are appropriate.
For the families left devastated by the crash, answers remain painstakingly elusive and police say further details may be released once the district attorney makes a formal charging decision.
After the accident Wichita Mayor Lily Wu described herself as ‘heartbroken’ and advised people to avoid the area, adding: ‘My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected, especially the children and families involved.’
President Donald Trump even commented on the tragedy Monday night during a campaign rally in nearby Park City.
‘To all victims and their families: May God be with you,’ he said. ‘And we want to get to the bottom of what happened.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Wichita police for comment.
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