Dispatch audio shows first responders label Wichita soccer field crash a mass-casualty incident
Audio from the Saturday crash at Wichita's Stryker Sports Complex confirms emergency crews classified the event as a Level 3 mass-casualty incident, with multiple injuries and two fatalities.
Audio released by local authorities captured dispatch communications as first responders arrived at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita on Saturday, where a pickup truck struck spectators and children during a youth soccer game. Dispatchers identified the event as an "MCI" (mass-casualty incident) and later classified it as a Level 3 incident, describing it as "a motor vehicle accident into a bunch of pedestrians."
The crash resulted in the deaths of 6-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, both residents of McPherson, and injured ten additional people, including five children. Police said the 34-year-old driver was released without charges pending toxicology results and a vehicle examination.
According to the dispatch log, responders reported at least 11 patients at the scene, with several described as "code blues" and "code blacks," indicating serious medical emergencies. A 5-year-old victim was noted to have suffered multi-system trauma but was assessed with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 15, indicating full responsiveness at the time of evaluation.
"There is nothing I can say that makes that right. To the families who lost someone: this whole town is grieving with you, and we will stand with you for as long as it takes," McPherson Mayor Jim Loving said in a statement.
"This is an active and ongoing investigation, and I would refer you to our media release. When we have any new updates to share, we will provide them," Wichita Police said in a statement.
The City of Wichita announced plans to install temporary barriers around the complex and to assess longer-term security measures. Police presence and mental-health professionals will be provided at the facility over the upcoming weekend to support affected families.