‘Unsubstantiated claims’: Wichita police dispel false rumor in soccer complex crash killing 2, injuring 10 

Police are shooting down a false social media rumor regarding the driver of the truck in a fatal weekend crash at a sports complex in Wichita, Kansas.

Wichita police say a 34-year-old woman was parked near the fields before her truck hit multiple adults and children at the Stryker Sports Complex. Her name has not been released. 

A rumor circulating on social media claimed a deputy with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office was behind the wheel, but the department released a statement Sunday evening dispelling the false claim.

“We want to make it clear Deputy Rachel Taylor was not the driver of the vehicle involved in this incident,” the sheriff’s office said in its statement. “Claims suggesting otherwise are false.”

The agency urged the community to stop sharing unverified information and respect the families affected by the crash.

“We ask the public to rely solely on information released by the Wichita Police Department rather than unsubstantiated claims circulating on social media,” the agency said.

Details of the crash

The crash happened around 3:25 p.m. Saturday when a 34-year-old Garden City woman’s Chevy pickup drove onto a soccer field. Two of her children were inside the truck at the time, and her third child was playing on a nearby field.

Two people died at the scene. Authorities identified the victims as 6-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer. The two were not related.

Paramedics transported 10 people to local hospitals with noncritical injuries.

Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan expressed his condolences to everyone affected.

“Our hearts are with the families of Adrian and Nicholas as they face an unimaginable loss,” Sullivan said. “What should have been a day of children playing soccer and families spending time together ended in tragedy. We are also thinking about those who were injured, their loved ones and everyone who witnessed what happened.”

Investigators interviewed the driver and more than 30 witnesses. Authorities released the woman pending toxicology results and an examination of her vehicle. Police haven’t filed charges yet.

(Image credit: Screenshot/Cropped/YouTube/@KSNTNews27)