Driver released after pickup kills 2 and injures 10 during a youth soccer game in Wichita, Kansas, police say | CNN

What began as a soccer game on a sunny Saturday in Wichita, Kansas, for children whose loved ones watched on the sidelines ended in tragedy when a pickup truck sped onto the field, killing a 6-year-old boy and a man and injuring 10 others.

The truck had been parked in a space near the soccer fields at Stryker Sports Complex before it went onto one of the fields around 3:25 p.m. local time, police said.

The driver, a 34-year-old woman, was released “pending the results of toxicology testing and a mechanical examination of her vehicle” after investigators conducted interviews with witnesses and consulted with the district attorney’s office, according to a news release from the Wichita Police Department.

Two of the woman’s children were with her in the truck and another was playing soccer on a different field at the complex, according to police.

Officials are still working to determine more about what happened and why. Police said Saturday evening that the woman had been cooperative in the investigation. Charges have not been filed at this time, officials said.

The 10 people injured ranged in age from 5 to 68, including five children, police said. They had injuries ranging from bruises to extremely severe injuries, though none appeared to be life-threatening. The victims who died were identified as 6-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, police said. Police originally misidentified the 6-year-old in a release, reversing his first and last name.

An 11th person was also taken to a local hospital after experiencing medical complications unrelated to traumatic injuries, police said.

“This is a tragedy,” Aaron Moses with the Wichita Police Department told reporters outside the complex.

First responders arrived on scene to find community members providing medical aid to those who were injured, Moses said.

‘It was pure panic’

Children were playing soccer on the field with their families gathered nearby when the screeching sound of tires rang out, a video obtained by CNN shows.

The camera of the woman filming the video shakes as she flees the area, with her and others’ screams audible in the recording that appears to capture the moment the truck entered the field.

Vanessa Trammell, who was at the complex watching her 13-year-old son’s soccer game nearby, saw the truck drive across the neighboring field near the sidelines, striking several people, she told CNN.

“It was pure panic,” Trammell said. “I didn’t know what was going on – just that people were being hit. I’m pretty sure I probably screamed, but, absolutely, just pure panic was going through me.”

She added her son’s coach ran to help victims before paramedics arrived at the scene.

One youth player, identified by CNN affiliate KWCH only as Isaac, told the outlet his father was one of the people who rushed to remove the driver from the vehicle.

“My dad went to the truck (and) took the person out of the truck so that they don’t hit any more people,” Isaac said. “(I’m) shocked he did that cause if he didn’t do that, maybe the car wouldn’t have stopped and more people could’ve gotten hit.”

Dozens of first responders quickly swarmed the scene, as children wearing their red sports uniforms gathered near the emergency vehicles, video shows.

The driver and two juveniles were still with the vehicle when officers and paramedics arrived, Moses said.

It’s unclear how fast the vehicle was going or how it breached the Stryker Sports Complex, which is fenced off and has a concrete runway leading to the parking lot, Moses said.

The complex hosts recreational and competitive youth soccer leagues for players ranging from under-5 age groups through high school, as well as adult leagues, according to its website. It has 11 outdoor turf fields and an indoor facility.

Investigators have interviewed more than 30 witnesses at the scene and others over the phone, and have asked for the public’s help as they search for video from the sports complex, Moses said.

All events at the complex have been canceled until further notice, the facility said.

Flag football state championship games scheduled at an adjacent field have also been suspended as police probe the scene, the Kansas State High School Activities Association said in a statement.

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu said she’s “heartbroken” and advised people to avoid the area.

“My heart breaks for the families who have lost loved ones, especially the family grieving the loss of a child,” the mayor said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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