October 19, 2026, 2:46 p.m. ET
After the driver of a truck that plowed onto the field at a youth football game in Wichita, Kansas, killing two people and injuring ten others, was released from custody, local prosecutors are preparing to re-examine the case.
Wichita police said a 34-year-old woman parked her Chevrolet pickup truck in a space at the Stryker Sports Complex on Oct. 17 before the vehicle drove onto the football field, striking children and adults. Following the fatal accident, police questioned more than 30 people, including the driver and two of her children who were inside the truck at the time.
After consulting with the Sedgwick County Prosecutor’s Office, police released the driver pending the results of toxicology tests and an examination of the vehicle, authorities said. No charges had been filed as of Oct. 18, police said.
Wichita police will give Sedgwick County Prosecutor Marc Bennett “an initial presentation of the case early this week,” spokeswoman Lyndsee Stover told USA TODAY on Oct. 19. “Following this initial review of the case, our office will share information as appropriate,” she said.
Stover directed further questions about the case to the police department and did not respond to additional questions from USA TODAY about the criminal charging process.
Why was driver in fatal Kansas football game crash released?
The police did not answer this question directly. When asked, Andrew Ford, a spokesman for the Wichita Police Department, directed USA TODAY to the police department’s previous press release.
“This is still an ongoing investigation,” Ford said via email.
Hours after the crash, Wichita Police Capt. Aaron Moses told reporters that the woman was in custody and that detectives would work with the district attorney’s office to determine whether and if so, what criminal charges were appropriate.
“We have a very good idea of what happened,” Moses said at an Oct. 17 news conference. “What we are working on now is conducting an investigation to determine how this happened and why.”
Moses said there is surveillance footage from the facility and asked the public to submit additional photos or videos of the incident. He said investigators will review that footage and conduct interviews to piece together what led to the crash in the next 24 hours.
On Oct. 18, Wichita police said dozens of interviews had been conducted and investigators were still working to determine the circumstances that led to the tragedy. Police also announced that they had consulted with the prosecutor’s office and that the woman had been released pending further investigation, sparking criticism, questions and speculation about the decision online.
Ford said police have not yet received the toxicology report or information from examining the vehicle. How the vehicle went from being parked in a parking space to hitting people in the lot remains unclear. Ford said whether the woman was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash or whether the vehicle was moving on its own is “part of the investigation and is information we will not release at this time.”
Kansas communities mourn fatal crash victims
The Wichita Police Department identified the two people killed in the crash as Adrian Cole, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, both of McPherson, Kansas, but not related. McPherson Mayor Jim Loving expressed his condolences to the families in a statement posted on social media.
“To the families who have lost someone: this entire city is grieving with you, and we will be with you for as long as it takes,” Loving wrote. “To the injured and their families: we pray for your recovery.”
Ten people, ranging in age from 5 to 68, were transported to local hospitals, including five children and five adults, according to police. Their injuries ranged from minor to extremely serious, but none were life-threatening, Moses said. A 61-year-old woman was also taken to hospital “after suffering medical complications unrelated to traumatic injuries,” police said in a statement.
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu asked the community to respect the privacy of those affected by the crash while the investigation continues.
“My heart breaks for the families who have lost loved ones, especially those who are grieving the loss of a child,” she said at the news conference. “My thoughts and prayers are also with those who were injured and everyone who witnessed this terrible tragedy.”
Contributors: Anthony Thompson and Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY
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