Two McPherson residents were killed and 10 people were injured Saturday afternoon after a Chevrolet pickup drove onto soccer fields at Stryker Sports Complex in northeast Wichita, according to the Wichita Police Department.
The victims were identified as 6-year-old Adrian Cole and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, both of McPherson. Police said the two were not related and were pronounced dead at the scene.
Sedgwick County 911 began receiving calls at approximately 3:25 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, reporting that a vehicle had driven onto soccer fields at Stryker Sports Complex, located at 2999 N. Greenwich Road, and struck several people.
According to the preliminary investigation, the Chevrolet pickup was parked in a parking space near the soccer fields before it drove onto one of the fields, striking multiple children and adults.
As emergency personnel arrived on the west side of the field, witnesses and community members were already providing aid to those injured, police said.
Two juveniles, both children of the driver, were inside the pickup at the time of the crash. The driver also had another child playing soccer on a different field at the complex, according to police.
Ten people injured in the crash were transported to Ascension Via Christi and Wesley Medical Center with injuries described as noncritical. Those injured were a 5-year-old girl, a 5-year-old boy, two 8-year-old boys, a 9-year-old girl, a 28-year-old woman, a 32-year-old man, a 59-year-old woman, a 65-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man.
An additional 61-year-old woman was transported after experiencing medical complications unrelated to traumatic injuries, bringing the total number of people transported to area hospitals to 11.
Investigators interviewed more than 30 witnesses, including the two juveniles who were inside the pickup, before interviewing the driver. Following the interviews, investigators consulted with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
The 34-year-old driver from Garden City was released pending the results of toxicology testing and a mechanical examination of the vehicle. No charges have been filed, and investigators continue working to determine the circumstances that led to the crash, police said.
The Wichita Police Department is asking anyone with photos or videos related to the incident to submit them, even if they are unsure whether the footage is relevant to the investigation.
Footage can be submitted through the department’s evidence portal at https://wichitapd.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/stryker.
Anyone with information about the crash can also contact Wichita police investigators at 316-268-4407. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.
Police Chief Joe Sullivan expressed condolences to the victims’ families and others affected by the tragedy. The department also thanked community members who stepped forward to help the injured before emergency crews arrived.
The investigation remains active. Police said additional information will be released as it becomes available.
