Kansas Soccer Field Crash: Former Investigator Questions Key Theories

“Law enforcement needed to do a better job explaining why charges have not been filed.”

Jamie Copenhaver, a former Florida sheriff’s detective who served with an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, said he wants to know why authorities have provided so little information about the absence of charges following the deadly Kansas soccer field crash.

Investigators say a mother drove onto the active field at Stryker Sports Complex while children and families were present, killing two people and injuring several others. She was released without being charged.

The crash occurred Saturday. Cole Adrian, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, both of McPherson, were killed. Investigators interviewed the woman who was driving before releasing her later that day.

Wichita Police said she was released “pending the results of toxicology testing and a mechanical examination of the vehicle.”

In a statement Tuesday, police said investigators had interviewed nearly 50 witnesses and planned to conduct additional interviews.

“Investigators are also inspecting the truck, analyzing available vehicle data and continuing investigative work at Stryker Sports Complex,” police said. “They are working closely with the Regional Forensic Science Center and awaiting official, peer-reviewed toxicology results.”

Authorities said the driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

“Based on the information available Sunday morning, and after consultation with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, investigators did not have probable cause to arrest the driver. She was released, and the investigation remains ongoing. Her release does not represent a final determination about whether criminal charges are appropriate.”

“We know that this case has captured the attention of people all over the country, and many of those people have strong opinions about the incident even though they do not have direct knowledge of what occurred,” Chief Joe Sullivan said. “We recognize that the decision the law and constitution required us to make on Sunday morning may not be popular. We swear an oath to support the laws of the State of Kansas and the Constitution of the United States and no one in the Wichita Police Department takes that oath for granted.”

Police said the driver had a valid license and no outstanding arrest warrants.

Authorities also pushed back against rumors circulating online, saying the driver is not in the country illegally, has no documented criminal history and has no connection to the Wichita Police Department, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office or any other law enforcement agency.

Andrew Ford, a Wichita Police Department spokesperson, told TMZ that investigators questioned the driver for several hours after the crash. According to the outlet, she answered questions about what happened.

Ford told TMZ that police are examining every possible explanation, including whether speed, a mechanical problem, drugs or alcohol contributed to the crash.

Wichita police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Did the driver suffer a medical emergency?

Authorities have not released information about the driver’s medical condition at the time of the crash.

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Copenhaver said releasing information about the woman’s physical health at the time of the incident may be necessary to “prevent conspiracy theories.”

“People need to know a little bit more transparency as to why this may have occurred,” he said.

Did her vehicle malfunction?

Police said that the black pickup truck involved in the incident was going to undergo mechanical testing. Copenhaver said the black box will be able to give a better idea of whether something went mechanically wrong before the deadly crash.

He said the data will reveal possible “contributing factors” like speed, whether she hit the brakes, timing of the braking, and how far the vehicle may have skidded.

“It doesn’t take that long, in my opinion, to download that data, have one of their experts go over it,” he said.

Copenhaver went on to say, “If there’s an issue with that truck, that computer is going to alert the examiner or the expert that’s looking at this data.”

Why is the toxicology taking so long?

Copenhaver said in his experience results from alcohol-related DUI testing usually comes back within a day.

“If it’s alcohol-related, they’re going to know instantaneously,” he said.

He added, “Once that blood draw is taken, once it’s ran through the machines [investigators] will be able to tell you if an individual is under the influence of alcohol.”

He said testing for other substances like hard drugs or medications can take significantly longer. Those require “specialty testing,” he said.

There is also a possibility that the woman may have been taking prescription medication, which could have impacted her driving, he said.

Testing for that is “longer than that normal blood draw,” he said.

In a statement sent to News Media, the Wichita Police Department shot down questions circulating on social media about whether there was a law enforcement connection.

“The Wichita Police Department is aware of false information circulating on social media regarding this investigation, including a rumor alleging that a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office deputy was involved,” the department said in part. “The Sheriff’s Office has publicly addressed that allegation and identified it as false.”

The department went on to say, “We ask everyone to be responsible with what they share, consider the harm misinformation can cause and allow investigators to do their work based on facts and evidence, not speculation.”

When asked by News Media about allegations of the driver’s possible connection to law enforcement, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office referred questions to the Wichita Police Department.