A 34-year-old woman drove a pickup truck through a youth soccer game at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, on Saturday afternoon, killing two people and sending 11 to the hospital, police said. One of the dead was a 6-year-old boy. Police have not said why it happened.
What police have said
- The crash happened at 3:25 p.m. Saturday, according to Wichita Police Capt. Aaron Moses.
- A 35-year-old man and a 6-year-old boy died at the scene. Moses said they were not related.
- Eleven people were hospitalized, including five children ages 5 through 9. Ten had traumatic injuries, some serious but not believed to be life-threatening, per police.
- The driver is the mother of a child who was playing at the complex, though not on the field where the truck struck people, Moses said.
- She drove from the east side of the complex to a field on the west end.
- Two young children were inside the truck, according to the New York Post's report.
- The driver is in custody and has been cooperative, Moses said.
- Police Chief Joe Sullivan said investigators don't yet know why the crash occurred and are still working the scene.
The response
A reporter at the police press conference said other parents pulled the driver from the truck and that she cried out in anguish, asking what she had done.
Parents and other civilians at the complex gave the wounded "life-saving assistance" until first responders arrived, Sullivan said. He credited the Wichita community for the response.
A witness told 12 News that a black pickup came through the fields and hit several people before stopping 100 to 200 yards down the field. Photos from WSMV4 News showed a black truck sitting in the middle of the field.
Mayor Lily Wu said families had come out to enjoy a Saturday afternoon of kids' soccer, and that no one could have imagined what followed. She expressed sympathy for the families who lost loved ones, especially the family of the child who died.
Sullivan asked the public to be patient while the investigation continues and said more updates will follow.
Source: Nypost