Jamie Copenhaver, a former Florida sheriff's detective who worked with an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, has raised questions about why no criminal charges have been filed in the Kansas soccer field crash that killed two people. Copenhaver stated that law enforcement needed to do a better job describing why charges have not been filed, citing a lack of transparency regarding the driver's physical condition at the time of the incident.
The crash occurred on Saturday at the Stryker Sports Complex in McPherson, Kansas, where a vehicle drove onto an active soccer field. Cole Adrian, 6, and Nicholas Schafer, 35, were killed. The driver, a woman with a valid license and no outstanding arrest warrants, was interviewed by Wichita Police that day and released pending toxicology results and a mechanical examination of the vehicle. Police said they did not have probable cause to arrest her based on information available Sunday morning, noting that her release does not represent a final determination on whether criminal charges are appropriate.
Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan addressed the public reaction in a Tuesday statement, acknowledging that the decision required by law and the constitution may not be popular. Sullivan stated that the department swears an oath to support the laws of Kansas and the United States Constitution. Andrew Ford, a spokesperson for the Wichita Police Department, told TMZ that the driver was interviewed for several hours and answered questions about the event. Ford said police are investigating all possibilities, including speeding, mechanical failure, or the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Copenhaver argued that releasing information about the driver's health could prevent conspiracy theories. He noted that vehicle data from the black box could reveal contributing factors such as speed, braking timing, and skid distance. According to Copenhaver, downloading and analyzing this data does not take long, and any mechanical issues would be alerted by the computer system to examiners. He added that alcohol-related toxicology results usually return within a day because blood draws are processed quickly by machines, whereas testing for other substances or prescription medications requires specialty testing that takes significantly longer.
The Wichita Police Department issued a statement denying false information circulating on social media, including a rumor that a Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office deputy was involved. The department confirmed that the Sheriff's Office had identified that allegation as false. Police said they have interviewed nearly 50 witnesses and are working with the Regional Forensic Science Center. The Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office referred questions about alleged law enforcement connections to the Wichita Police Department.