A pick-up truck driver who allegedly ploughed into a youth football match in Wichita, Kansas, killing two people and injuring 10 others, has been released from custody as police investigate the incident.
In a video circulating online and seen by TNX Africa, the 34-year-old woman’s Chevrolet truck is seen parked near the pitch at the Stryker Sports Complex on Saturday, October 17, before moving onto the field and hitting spectators and young players gathered for the match.
The crash killed Nicholas Schafer, 35, and Cole Adrian, six, both from McPherson, Kansas.
Ten other people, including five children aged between five and nine and five adults, sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Emergency medical personnel treated the victims at the scene before taking several of them to local hospitals for further care.
Following the incident, police interviewed the driver and her two children, who were inside the vehicle when it struck the crowd, before releasing her without filing formal charges.
Her third child was also at the sports complex, participating in a separate match when the crash occurred.
Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan expressed his condolences to the victims’ families, describing the incident as a tragic end to what should have been a day of sport and family activities.
“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,” he told reporters.
As investigators work to establish what caused the truck to move onto the pitch, they are conducting mechanical inspections and toxicological tests to determine whether a vehicle malfunction or impairment played a role.
The findings will inform the next steps in the case, with the local prosecutor’s office expected to review the preliminary results early this week and decide whether to pursue criminal charges against the driver.
Meanwhile, community members have begun organising support funds and memorials to help the bereaved families cope with the sudden loss.