Two people, including a child, died after a vehicle struck multiple people at a sports complex in Wichita, Kansas, on Saturday, Oct. 17, police said. Multiple other people were injured and taken to hospitals.
The incident occurred at Stryker Sports Complex, according to local news outlet KWCH. The sports facility has several indoor and outdoor fields.
Sedgwick County 911 received multiple calls around 3:25 p.m. local time reporting that a vehicle had driven through a soccer game, Wichita police Capt. Aaron Moses said during a press conference.
The Wichita Police Department said in a post on X that it was investigating a mass casualty incident involving a vehicle. Authorities said the driver was in custody and there was no longer an ongoing threat.
What happened at the soccer fields?
A witness told KWCH that a black pickup truck drove through youth soccer fields, striking multiple people before stopping about 100 to 200 yards farther down the fields.
The witness also described dozens of emergency responders providing medical assistance to victims, including performing CPR, according to the station.
Wichita police officers, other local law enforcement agencies, the Wichita Fire Department and Sedgwick County EMS responded to the scene, KWCH reported.
Moses said multiple other casualties had been taken to hospitals. Their conditions were not immediately available, according to Wichita police.
Police had not determined how fast the vehicle was traveling or how it got onto the field. Authorities also had not released the names or ages of the two people who died.
Was the driver arrested?
The driver of the vehicle was in custody, Moses said. He said the driver no longer posed a threat and described the incident as a “tragedy.”
Police urged drivers to avoid the area near 29th Street and Greenwich Road while the investigation continued. USA TODAY reached out to the Wichita Police Department for additional information about the incident and the ongoing investigation.
The Wichita Police Department said it would provide further updates when more information became available.
This is a developing story.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2 dead, multiple hurt after truck strikes crowd at Kansas soccer field
