EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah — The man charged in the May deaths of two Eagle Mountain children is incourt Thursday for a preliminary hearing, and hearing testimony from those who were with him at the time of the fatal crash.
Kent Cody Barlow was charged with two counts of manslaughter after he allegedly crashed through a fence and into a corral where 3-year-old Odin Ratliff and Hunter Jackson were playing. Investigators said both boys died instantly at the scene.
During Thursday's hearing in Provo, three of the passengers that were in Barlow's car at the time of the incident are testified, along with Hunter and Odin's parents.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys placed big emphasis on Barlow's speed and how he was driving.
Jeremy Gomez, who was a passenger in the vehicle, said he put his seatbelt on out of fear before Barlow started this driving. He also recalled what he heard and saw in the moments before the crash.
"The car like slammed into the road and lifted up so you could pretty much just see the point of view of a road to just look straight at up the sky," Gomez said. "And that’s where I pretty much just closed my eyes.”
In addition to the second-degree manslaughter charges, Barlow also faces one charge of possession of a controlled substance.
