A Kansas mother will not face criminal charges after her truck accelerated onto a youth soccer field, killing a six-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man.
The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office announced the decision this week regarding the October 17 crash at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita. The unnamed 34-year-old woman had been driving her husband’s Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck because her own vehicle had tire problems.
District Attorney Marc Bennett addressed the public at a press conference where he acknowledged the decision would strike many as puzzling. “If I could charge somebody, why wouldn’t I?” he said. “But I also have an obligation to stand up and say, ‘It’s not here.'”
Investigators determined the crash resulted from negligence rather than criminal conduct. The woman had arrived at the complex at 10:40 a.m., left at 1:20 p.m., and returned approximately an hour later. She parked near the soccer fields, where her own child was among those playing.
The mother told investigators she informed her children she was “taking a nap” in the truck. Two of her children were inside the vehicle with her at the time. Investigators interviewed both the mother and the children who had been in the car.
According to the investigative report obtained by FoxNews, authorities concluded that while the woman slept, her foot unintentionally hit the gas pedal with the truck still in gear. “The reasonable conclusion is that, while she slept, her foot unintentionally hit the gas pedal while the truck was in drive,” the report states. “Investigators could not determine exactly how the truck came to be in drive.”
Bennett emphasized the apparent randomness of the parking spot that enabled the tragedy. “Sad coincidence, she finds the one stall that’s right in front, with an open pathway onto the fields,” he said. “No indication whatsoever that she waited for that stall to become open.”
Authorities found no evidence the woman was impaired at the time of the crash. Toxicology results came back negative for substances that would indicate intoxication. Investigators also examined her phone and social media accounts and found nothing suggesting the incident was intentional.
The crash killed Cole Adrian, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, both Kansas residents who were not related to each other. Ten additional people suffered injuries, with victims ranging in age from five to 68 years old. All injured parties are expected to recover.
The mother had apparently failed to put the vehicle in park before falling asleep, though the precise mechanism by which the truck shifted into drive remained undetermined. Bennett noted there was “no indication” whatsoever that the crash was deliberate.
The October 17 incident unfolded during an active youth soccer game at the sports complex, where families had gathered for what should have been a routine Saturday of children’s sports. The Silverado barreled from its parking position directly onto the playing field, cutting through the game in progress.
The decision not to charge closes the criminal investigation into one of the most devastating vehicle incidents in recent Wichita history, leaving families of the deceased and injured to pursue other avenues for accountability.
Bennett’s office continues to handle other major cases in Sedgwick County, with the prosecutor emphasizing that his duty to apply the law fairly sometimes produces outcomes that clash with public sentiment.