Two 3-year-old boys playing in horse corral killed in "senseless DUI crash," Utah sheriff says
A Utah driver who allegedly tested positive for meth crashed his car into a horse corral where two 3-year-old boys were playing, killing both of them, the Utah County Sheriff's Office said. The driver, identified as 25-year-old Kent Cody Barlow, was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide, as well as possession, driving under the influence, and a possible parole violation.
The sheriff's office on Tuesday said Odin Ratliff and Hunter Jackson were "the two boys killed in the senseless DUI crash last night in Eagle Mountain."
According to sheriff's office, first responders were dispatched to the scene of the crash near Utah's Cedar Valley Stables around 7:20 pm Monday night. Witnesses to the crash told officers the car was "weaving or drifting into oncoming traffic, traveling near or faster than 100 MPH, and running a stop sign immediately before crashing."
Authorities said the car left the paved road, smashed through a vinyl rail fence, and hit another steel pole fence before crashing into a "fence panel corral." The vehicle then hit a cement block in the ground before coming to a stop in the horse stables upside down.
Passengers in the car said the driver, Barlow, was going between 80-100 miles per hour in the vehicle and was drifting as he drove, officials said. Barlow, who was on parole at the time of the crash, was "seriously injured" and flown to Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, where he was treated for bruises and abrasions before being released, according to the sheriff's office. Three other passengers in the vehicle were treated and released.
The boys were playing with heavy equipment toys inside the corral at the time of the crash. Both boys ended up 75 feet from where they had been playing, dying instantly, officials said.
"We of the Utah County Sheriff's Office express our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of these two sweet boys," officials said in a statement. "Their loss is a senseless tragedy and we can only imagine the depth of the grief now being carried by their families. Our prayers are with them as they walk this incredibly difficult path."
A preliminary drug screen showed Barlow was positive for methamphetamine, the sheriff's office said. Agents with the department of Adult Probation & Parole have "placed a hold on Barlow pending a possible parole violation."
Barlow was charged with two counts of homicide/DUI with criminal negligence, possession of a controlled substance, reckless driving and multiple other charges.
