A pick-up truck entered a youth football match at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.
Police released the 34-year-old driver without charges while investigators examine the truck and conduct toxicological tests.
A Wichita football crash killed two people and injured 10 others when a pick-up truck entered a youth match. Police later released the 34-year-old woman who drove the vehicle as investigations continued.
The incident occurred at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, on Saturday, October 17. The Chevrolet truck moved from near the pitch onto the field, striking spectators and young players.
Nicholas Schafer, 35, and six-year-old Cole Adrian died in the crash. Both victims came from McPherson, Kansas.
Children among Wichita football crash victims
The 10 injured people included five children aged between five and nine, alongside five adults. Their injuries were not life-threatening.
Emergency medical personnel treated the injured at the scene before taking several to local hospitals for further care.
Meanwhile, police interviewed the driver and her two children, who were inside the truck during the crash. Officers then released her without filing formal charges.
The woman’s third child was also at the sports complex, taking part in a separate match.
Investigators examine truck and test for impairment
Investigators are conducting mechanical inspections and toxicological tests to establish why the truck moved onto the pitch. They are examining whether a vehicle malfunction or impairment played a role.
Those findings will guide the next steps in the investigation. The local prosecutor’s office is expected to review preliminary results early in the week following the crash. It will then decide whether to pursue criminal charges against the driver.
Her release comes while those inquiries remain underway. Police have not established what caused the vehicle to enter the field.
Community organises support for bereaved families
Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan offered condolences to the families of Schafer and Adrian. He described the deaths as an unimaginable loss for their loved ones.
Sullivan also said a day intended for children’s football and family time had ended in tragedy.
Meanwhile, community members have begun organising support funds and memorials for the bereaved families. The efforts aim to help them cope with the sudden loss.
