Who Were Adrian Cole and Nicholas Schafer? Victims Named in Soccer Crash

A 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man were killed on Saturday when a pickup truck drove onto a soccer field in Wichita, Kansas. The crash happened at Stryker Sports Complex during youth soccer games. Police identified the victims as Adrian Cole, age 6, and Nicholas Schafer, age 35, both from McPherson, Kansas. Officers said the two were not related to each other.

Ten other people were hurt in the crash, ranging in age from 5 to 68 years old. Five of those injured were children — a 5-year-old girl, a 5-year-old boy, two 8-year-old boys, and a 9-year-old girl. The five injured adults were 28, 32, 59, 65, and 68 years old. A 61-year-old woman was also taken to the hospital after becoming ill for a reason unrelated to the crash, bringing the total number taken to hospitals to 11.

The driver was a 34-year-old woman driving a Chevrolet pickup truck. Before the crash, the truck had been parked near the soccer fields. Police said it then drove onto one of the fields and struck children and adults. Two of her children were inside the truck, and another was playing soccer on a nearby field.

Adrian Cole and Nicholas Schafer both died at the scene. Emergency calls began coming in at around 3:25 p.m. on Saturday, with multiple people reporting that a vehicle had driven onto the soccer fields. The injured were taken to Ascension Via Christi and Wesley Medical Center.

Police spoke with more than 30 witnesses, including the two children who were inside the truck. Detectives then interviewed the driver and consulted with the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office. No criminal charges had been filed as of Sunday, and the driver was released while police waited for toxicology and mechanical test results.

Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan expressed his sadness for the families. He said, 'Our hearts are with the families of Adrian and Nicholas as they face an unimaginable loss. What should have been a day of children playing soccer and families spending time together ended in tragedy.' He added that police were also thinking of the injured and everyone in the community who witnessed the event.

The investigation is still active. Police are asking anyone who was at the complex to share information or video footage, even if they do not think it matters. Detectives say more details will be released as they become available.