Eyewitnesses are now sharing what they saw as a Kansas mother allegedly drove her pickup truck onto a youth soccer field, killing two people and injuring 10 others.
The fatal incident took place on Saturday, October 17, at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas. Children and their families were gathered on the sidelines to watch soccer when a truck suddenly drove onto the field.
The two victims were identified as six-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer.
Police initially took the driver, a 34-year-old mother from Garden City, Kansas, into custody following the crash.
Right after the incident, the woman allegedly shouted: “Oh my God, oh my God, what have I done?”
Kansas mom drove SUV into youth soccer game
According to eyewitnesses who spoke to TMZ, she appeared to cooperate with police after the crash, and did not seem to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
One man described seeing the truck come to a gradual stop. He said parents immediately rushed toward the vehicle, pounding on its doors and urging the driver to get out. The woman reportedly stepped out of the truck within 30 seconds to a minute after it stopped, and appeared to offer an explanation for what had happened.
The man was reportedly too far away to hear her directly. He said he had heard from others that the she allegedly told people she had fallen asleep, accidentally pressed the accelerator.
Another eyewitness gave a similar account, speaking to TMZ. She said the driver took roughly 30 seconds to a minute to get out of the vehicle with her two children. She also recalled seeing one of the children crying hysterically.
“No charges have been filed at this time”
Other witness also said the woman did not appear to have suffered a medical emergency or to be under the influence. She stayed at the scene after the horrifying incident.
On Sunday, police released the woman. Investigators are still looking into what happened and are awaiting toxicology test results as well as a mechanical examination of the pickup truck.
“No charges have been filed at this time, and investigators continue working to determine the circumstances that led to the crash,” the Wichita Police Department said.
Authorities are asking witnesses come forward
Wichita Police Department Chief Joe Sullivan told Fox News: “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 continued: “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.”
Authorities are asking anyone who may have captured the incident on video to come forward and share their footage with investigators. The Wichita Police Department stressed that even recordings that appear to show very little could prove valuable in helping establish exactly what happened.
“Regardless of how significant you believe your footage may be, we encourage you to submit it. Even the smallest detail could assist investigators,” the department said.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families affected by this devastating tragedy.
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