'It Was Pure Panic': Wichita Witness Recalls Pickup Truck Crossing Football Field, Killing Two People

Two people, including a six-year-old boy, were killed and 11 others injured when a pickup truck drove through a youth soccer game in Wichita, Kansas, on Saturday, 17 October, witnesses and police said.

Police said 10 people suffered traumatic injuries, while another adult was hospitalised for a non-traumatic medical condition at the Stryker Sports Complex.

Witness Vanessa Trammell, who saw the truck crossing a neighbouring pitch, told CNN that families struggled to locate their children as the vehicle continued across the field. 'It was pure panic,' she said, recalling the confusion as people were struck.

Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses said the driver was a 34-year-old woman who had two juveniles inside the vehicle. He said he understood that she had a child playing soccer elsewhere at the complex.

The woman remained in police custody and was cooperating with investigators, who had not established why the truck entered the playing area.

Emergency dispatchers began receiving calls at approximately 3.25pm local time. Five of the 10 people who suffered traumatic injuries were children.

Police said their injuries ranged from bruising to extremely severe injuries, although none appeared life-threatening at the time of the briefing.

Witness Describes Terrifying Moments on the Pitch

Trammell had attended her 13-year-old son's soccer game when she saw the pickup truck travelling across a neighbouring pitch, striking several people. Her son's match had already ended, and his team was gathered in a huddle near the sideline.

'We thought it was going to stop, but then it like kept going,' Trammell told CNN.

The vehicle passed near the sideline where her son's team had gathered. Trammell said her immediate concern was finding her son amid the confusion as people around the complex tried to understand what had happened.

'It was pure panic,' she said. 'I didn't know what was going on, just that people were being hit. I'm pretty sure I probably screamed, but absolutely, just pure panic was going through me.'

An attendee separately told CNN affiliate KWCH that a black pickup truck jumped a kerb before travelling on to a playing field. Other witnesses described hearing a loud noise. Video footage described by CNN showed children wearing red sports uniforms near emergency vehicles and police tape.

Trammell said younger children regularly played on the pitches, including the one the truck crossed. She did not know whether anyone had attempted to stop the vehicle, as her attention was focused on locating her son.

Her son's coach ran towards those who had been struck to offer assistance before paramedics arrived. Emergency personnel subsequently attended the scene as families gathered around the affected area.

For parents watching matches on neighbouring pitches, the confusion extended beyond the field where the victims were struck. Police confirmed that the two people killed had not been publicly identified by name in the initial reports.

Investigators Probe How Truck Reached Fenced Pitch

Moses said investigators were examining the driver's actions and the circumstances that led to the truck entering the fenced playing area. Police were also trying to determine how fast the vehicle was travelling and had not announced whether the woman would face charges.

Authorities had not established whether the incident was intentional or accidental. Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan said investigators were working to determine why it had happened.

When emergency crews arrived, members of the public were already providing medical assistance to those injured. Sullivan praised their response, saying people at the scene had immediately helped the victims before first responders arrived.

Police said investigators had interviewed more than 30 witnesses at the sports complex and were seeking additional information from anyone who had recorded the incident.

Wichita police also appealed for videos recorded at the grounds, which could help establish the truck's movements before it entered the pitch. Investigators had not determined how the vehicle gained access to the fenced playing area.

City Leaders Respond as Sports Complex Shuts

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu said families had arrived at the complex expecting to spend Saturday afternoon watching their children play soccer.

'No one could have imagined the tragedy that would unfold,' she said at a news conference that evening.

Wu urged residents to avoid the area while emergency services and investigators continued their work. She expressed sympathy for those who had lost relatives, particularly the family mourning the six-year-old boy.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said she was monitoring the situation and had spoken with Wu. She offered condolences to the victims' families, survivors and others affected.

The Stryker Sports Complex cancelled all events until further notice. In a statement, the city asked the community to keep those affected in their thoughts and prayers and to avoid the complex while emergency personnel carried out their work.

The facility features multiple outdoor artificial-turf pitches and an indoor sporting complex, hosting competitions and leagues for children and adults.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association also suspended its third-place and championship flag football matches, which were taking place on an adjacent pitch. The association said the games would be rescheduled, with further details expected on Monday, 19 October.