A 34-year-old Garden City woman will not face criminal charges for the October truck crash that killed two people during a youth soccer game in Wichita, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett announced Thursday.
The decision follows an investigation into the October 17 incident at the Scheels Stryker Sports Complex. During the crash, a truck drove onto Stryker’s Field 4 just before 3:30 p.m., striking participants in the middle of a game, Wichita Eagle reported.
The victims were 6-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, both of McPherson. In addition to the two fatalities, ten other individuals—with ages ranging from 5 to 65—were injured and required hospitalization.
District Attorney Bennett addressed the community at a news conference held Thursday at the Sedgwick County Courthouse. He explained that while the tragedy was devastating, the legal requirements for a criminal prosecution were not met.
“As bad as this was, it was not a crime,” Bennett said.
“I cannot charge this driver with a crime,” Bennett said.
Bennett said that a successful prosecution requires the presence of both a specific act and a corresponding mental state, or intent.
“For me to charge a crime, I need two things,” Bennett said. “There is no path forward to a criminal culpability for her.”
A blood test taken from the woman after the crash showed no evidence of impairment, according to authorities.
The investigation also included a technical review of the vehicle itself. A technician and an engineer from General Motors inspected the truck and found no mechanical issues that would have contributed to the accident.
Because the woman has not been formally charged with a crime, officials have not released her name to the public.
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