The Wichita Police Department is shutting down social media speculation about the woman who killed 2 people plowing onto a Kansas soccer field.
WPD issued an update in their investigation Tuesday, obtained by TMZ, saying … “Based on information available to investigators, claims that the driver is in the country illegally are false.”
They also shut down rumors that she and her husband were associated with Wichita Police Department, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office or other law enforcement.
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WPD added … “Investigators have found no documented criminal history for the driver. She had a valid driver’s license and no outstanding arrest warrants.”
The department says they felt the need to address the “false claims” they say were circulating online and in the media by debunking the rumors around the 34-year-old woman behind the wheel.
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They asked that the public instead relying on official updates from law enforcement, saying … “We understand the public’s interest and the concern surrounding this investigation. But spreading rumors and unverified accusations adds confusion, causes further pain for grieving families and harms people who have no connection to this case.”
They also addressed why they released the driver without charges, explaining “investigators did not have probable cause to arrest the driver.”
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WPD says they’re still waiting on toxicology results and investigators are working with the Regional Forensic Science Center to inspect the truck and analyze the vehicle data.
Chief Joe Sullivan said in the update … “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.”
As you know, 6-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer, both from McPherson, Kansas, died at the scene of the terrible tragedy.
Ten others were injured — including five children — although police declined to provide updates on their conditions.