Wichita Soccer Field Crash Driver Will Not Face Charges

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said the driver whose pickup truck struck people at a Wichita youth soccer game will not face criminal charges, concluding investigators could not establish the mental state required by Kansas law. The October 17 crash at Stryker Sports Complex killed Cole Adrian, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, and injured 10 others.

Bennett announced the decision after investigators examined the crash and reviewed evidence including witness interviews, video, toxicology results and a vehicle examination. The driver, a 34-year-old woman whose name authorities have not released, had been taking a nap in the truck when it moved from a parking space onto the field.

According to Bennett’s report, investigators could not establish whether the truck had been left in drive or how it came to be in that gear. The report says the driver may have unintentionally pressed the accelerator while asleep. She told detectives she awoke to screaming and, disoriented, tried but failed to press the brake.

Investigators found no evidence of impairing substances or a mechanical defect. A test using a comparable Silverado found it could remain against the curb while in drive...