The tragic accident that took the lives of a 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man from McPherson has been deemed a tragic confluence of events by investigators and the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
The 34-year-old driver involved in last month’s deadly crash at Wichita’s Stryker Sports Complex will not face criminal charges.
Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett announced Thursday that investigators found no evidence the crash was intentional. Bennett released a 28-page document on the case that detailed the events leading up to the incident.
Police say the woman decided to take a nap inside the vehicle, and quite likely left the truck in gear when she parked just yards away from one of the playing fields. Her seat was reclined with her sleeping – when the pickup drove onto the soccer fields, killing 6-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, both of McPherson. Ten others were injured.
Investigators examined the truck for mechanical problems and recalls, but found no issues. Police also report that tests concluded the driver was not intoxicated.
Bennett says some questions about exactly how the truck went into motion may never be answered with certainty.
The decision means no criminal charges will be filed in the case.
