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Kansas mom's tragic words after ploughing truck onto soccer field, killing two people
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A Saturday afternoon youth soccer match in Wichita, Kansas, turned into absolute chaos when a pickup truck accelerated directly into a crowd of spectators gathered at the Stryker Sports Complex.
The horrifying vehicle crash left ten people injured and claimed the lives of two individuals, including a six-year-old child.
According to a Wichita Police Department press conference, the driver behind the wheel was identified as a 34-year-old local mother who had parked her Chevrolet pickup in a space adjacent to the soccer fields.
For reasons that investigators are still working to determine, the vehicle suddenly accelerated onto the active field with two young children riding inside the cab.
Panic quickly swept across the complex as onlookers rushed toward the crashed vehicle to pull the driver out and render assistance to the many victims lying scattered across the turf.
Distressing words at the scene
As stunned parents worked to pull the driver from her truck, witnesses at a press conference recalled the driver's frantic words. She shouted, according to ABC 13 News, “Oh my God, Oh my God, what have I done?”
Civilians on the scene immediately jumped into action to help administer emergency care before medical personnel arrived. Despite their swift actions, six-year-old Adrian Cole and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, both residents of McPherson, Kansas, died from their injuries. Officials noted that Cole and Schafer were not related to each other.
The surviving victims injured during the crash range in age from 5 to 68 years old. Additionally, a 61-year-old woman suffering from unrelated medical complications was transported to a local hospital for care.
Police release driver pending investigation
Following the deadly crash, the Wichita Police Department announced that the driver was released without charges as the investigation continues.
Law enforcement officials explained that charges remain on hold pending the final results of toxicology screenings and a thorough mechanical inspection of the Chevrolet pickup.
“No charges have been filed at this time, and investigators continue working to determine the circumstances that led to the crash,” the police department shared in a statement.
Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan expressed his condolences to the local community and praised the heroic actions of the bystanders who stepped in during the immediate aftermath.
“Our hearts are with the families of Adrian and Nicholas as they face an unimaginable loss. What should have been a day of children playing soccer and families spending time together ended in tragedy,” Sullivan said in a statement on Friday.
“We are also thinking about those who were injured, their loved ones and everyone who witnessed what happened,” Sullivan said. “We know this tragedy has affected many people throughout our community, and we want those families to know they are not alone.”
“Our officers and investigators will continue working to understand exactly what happened.”