Fastrack · Kansas Mom Won't Be Charged After Fatal Soccer Field Crash

A woman whose pickup truck drove onto a Wichita youth soccer field, killing two people, will not face criminal charges. Prosecutors announced the decision Thursday.

6-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, both of McPherson, died.
10 others, ages 5 to 68, were injured at Stryker Sports Complex.
200 miles: the distance she drove from Garden City that morning.
Her blood tested negative for drugs and alcohol, police said.

Why it matters: Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said the driver had reclined her seat to nap before the truck accelerated. He said he found affirmative evidence the crash was not intentional.

Bennett said one act of negligence cannot support vehicular manslaughter under Kansas Supreme Court precedent.
A General Motors engineer found no mechanical fault, and no recalls applied.
Investigators could not determine whether the truck was in park.

How 19 sources split on this story

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Coverage by lean% of 19 sources

19 sources · 22 articles · 48% Right coverage

Where they split: Outlets differ on injury severity: The Independent described the injuries as nonserious, while the Daily Mail reported some victims were hospitalized in critical condition.

Center coverage, 5 sources: The center centers the legal reasoning, quoting the district attorney that the crash was tragic but not a crime under Kansas law.

USA Today8hWoman who drove onto Wichita soccer field, killing 2, won't be charged CTV News5hNapping driver who accelerated onto soccer field, killing 2, won’t be charged Associated Press4hNapping driver whose truck accelerated on Kansas soccer field, killing 2, won’t be charged The National Desk5hNo charges against woman in soccer field crash that killed 2, hurt 10 TMZ10hKansas Mom Who Plowed Truck Into Soccer Game Killing 2 Won't Be Charged

Left coverage, 5 sources: The left focuses on the investigation's detail, from the vehicle exam to the child's account, supporting the finding of no intent.

NBC News23hNo charges for woman who drove onto Kansas soccer field, killing 2, officials say The Independent7hMom who fell asleep and drove onto soccer field killing two won’t be charged CNN6hNapping driver whose truck accelerated on Kansas soccer field, killing 2, won’t be charged Los Angeles Times6hNapping driver whose truck accelerated on Kansas soccer field, killing 2, won't be charged The Washington Post7hWoman who crashed into soccer field, killing 2, won’t face charges

Right coverage, 9 sources: The right emphasizes that the mother was asleep at the wheel and foregrounds the victims and their grieving families.

New York Post9hShocking new details in why tired soccer mom appears to have driven onto Kansas field, killing 2 Daily Mail9hKansas mother won't be charged after she plowed SUV onto soccer pitch during game, killing child and adult, because she was asleep at the time, cops say Breitbart News6hVideo: Cause Revealed of Kansas Mom Who Fatally Drove Her Truck into a Youth Soccer Game Just the News1dKansas mom's truck fatally striking 2 people on soccer field was accident, no criminal charges Newsmax7hNapping Driver Whose Truck Accelerated on Kansas Soccer Field, Killing 2, Won't be Charged OutKick6hMom who plowed into soccer field and killed 2 will not face charges, DA says The Blaze2hNo charges will be filed against mom behind wheel of truck that hit people on soccer field, killing boy, 6, man, 35: DA The Daily Caller4hProsecutor Says Mom Who Drove Through Soccer Field, Leaving 2 Dead Won’t Face Charges The Right Scoop6hUNREAL: Woman who mowed down and killed 6-yr-old and adult WON'T be charged

What’s next: Police and prosecutors contacted victims' families and injured people about the findings.

Bennett said he would file charges if the law allowed it. He said not everyone may be at peace with the decision.
Was the truck ever placed in park before the driver fell asleep?
Will the victims' families pursue any further action?