WICHITA: A truck drove into a youth soccer game in Wichita, Kansas, killing a six-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man and leaving 10 others hospitalised with traumatic injuries, police said on Saturday.
Wichita police Captain Aaron Moses said the victims were pronounced dead at the scene. The injured suffered a range of injuries, from minor to severe, but none appeared to be life-threatening.
Driver in Custody as Police Investigate
Moses said a 34-year-old woman was driving the truck when it entered the field at the western end of the Stryker Sports Complex.
The driver has been cooperating with investigators. Police confirmed she was in custody but did not clarify whether she had been formally arrested.
“We know what happened, but now we’re working very hard to find out why it happened, and we’re not there yet,” Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan said.
According to police, the driver had a child playing soccer at the complex, although not on the field where the incident occurred. Two juveniles were also passengers in the truck.
Children Among the Injured
Police said the 10 people hospitalised with traumatic injuries included six children and four adults. The children were two five-year-olds, two eight-year-olds and a nine-year-old, along with another young victim whose age was not specified in the initial breakdown.
One additional adult was hospitalised for medical issues unrelated to traumatic injuries.
Emergency dispatchers began receiving calls about the incident at 3:25pm local time, or 2025 GMT, Moses said.
Wichita Mayor Calls Incident Heartbreaking
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu expressed condolences to the victims and their families, describing the incident as a devastating day for the city.
“Today is a heartbreaking day for Wichita,” Wu said. “Families came to Stryker Sports Complex to enjoy a Saturday afternoon, watching their children play soccer and no one could have imagined the tragedy that would unfold.”
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances and the reason the truck entered the soccer field.
