An 18-year-old from Jackson County pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony charges stemming from a crash that killed off-duty Wellston police officer Matthew Juniper and seriously injured another officer. The teen, who was 17 at the time of the collision, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and aggravated vehicular assault. The case is being handled in juvenile court, and a disposition hearing is scheduled for Nov. 3. The crash happened around 2 a.m. Aug. 30, 2025, on South Pennsylvania Avenue near East Sixth Street in Wellston. Investigators said the teenager was driving a 2014 Hyundai Accent while intoxicated when the car struck a golf cart from behind. Both vehicles were traveling south. The collision sent the golf cart and its passenger, Juniper, off the left side of the road and into a tree. Juniper, 25, died from his injuries. He had served four years with the Wellston Police Department and previously worked as a Jackson County sheriff’s deputy. Another off-duty officer was driving the golf cart and was seriously injured.