Tara Pfeifer, 18, of Salina, pleaded guilty Tuesday to vehicular homicide and DUI in connection with a May 26, 2011, crash on State Street, west of Salina, that killed Journi Maas, 15, of Hutchinson.

Pfeifer will be sentenced at 2 p.m. April 1, said Amy Norton, an assistant Saline County attorney.


The plea came as prospective jurors were gathered at the Saline County courthouse, waiting for jury selection to begin in Pfeifer's trial on the charges.

District Judge Jared Johnson ordered Pfeifer to pay the $650 cost to summon the jury prospects.

Pfeifer had been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Maas, who was a former Salina resident.

Pfeifer, who was 16 at the time, was driving the car with three passengers when the right front tire slipped off the paved road. The car then hit a concrete culvert, causing it to flip over. According to investigators with the Saline County Sheriff's Office, Maas, who was a passenger in the front seat, was ejected from the car.

The crash was reported to law enforcement in Salina at about 3:45 a.m., five to 10 minutes after it occurred, according to Norton.

No seat belts were used

None of the four girls was wearing a seat belt, according to the report from Sheriff Glen Kochanowski at the time of the crash.

Pfeifer, of Salina; Mariah Putman, 7336 W. Armstrong; and Kylie Callahan, of Catoosa, Okla., were treated for their injuries at Salina Regional Health Center.

The girls told officers that they were headed to Putman's rural home.

Norton said Pfeifer's speed was calculated at nearly 55 mph. She also said it was determined that Pfeifer had alcohol and marijuana in her system.

Consecutive sentences

The plea agreement calls for Pfeifer to receive consecutive sentences. She could be sentenced for up to 18 months in jail for the vehicular homicide and up to 6 months for DUI, Norton said.

"The parties will argue about jail time (at sentencing)," she said.

The jury prospects left the third floor of the City-County Building Tuesday in time for lunch, some mumbling words of relief. Others were perturbed after more than 2 1/2 hours in public service.

"We intended to start a juvenile jury trial," Norton said.