Wichita Driver Released Without Charges After Boy's Death

A woman from Garden City, Kansas, was released without charges on 18 October following a police investigation into a deadly crash at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita. The incident killed two people and injured ten others on 17 October when a pickup truck sped from a parking lot across a soccer field where a game was underway.

The victims were Cole Adrian, six, and Nicholas Schafer, 35. Schafer worked as a soccer coach and a middle school teacher. Ten additional people sustained injuries. The injured group included girls aged five and nine, two boys aged eight, and one five-year-old boy.

Police arrested the 34-year-old driver at the scene. Reports indicate she had two of her own children in the vehicle with her. Authorities released her the next day while they continue to examine the truck and process toxicology tests.

Chris Adrian, Cole’s father, spoke at his son’s funeral on 26 October at McPherson Free Methodist church. The family is from McPherson, Kansas, located about an hour north of Wichita. Adrian described his son as an energetic child who loved life. He stated that Cole often declared every day was the "best day ever," even when nothing special happened.

Adrian said the family found comfort in the support of the local youth soccer community. Players at a game days after the crash wore shirts with the letters LLCA. Adrian explained that the phrase was interpreted as "laugh like Cole," "love like Cole," or "long live Cole." He noted that the words serve as a reminder of who Cole was.

The father also mentioned that his family relied on their Christian faith during the grief process. He pointed to a double rainbow over McPherson on the morning of the funeral as a sign that Cole and Schafer are together in heaven. Adrian said he could picture Cole running full speed to hug Jesus, repeating the phrase the family heard so often.

Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan addressed the public reaction to the driver’s release. He acknowledged that the case has drawn national attention and that many people hold strong opinions without direct knowledge of the events. Sullivan stated that the decision was required by law and the constitution on 18 October.

Sullivan affirmed that the Wichita Police Department swears an oath to support the laws of Kansas and the US constitution. He added that no one in the department takes that oath for granted. Investigators have asked the public to remain patient while they search for a cause in the ongoing case.