Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Myron Barlow pleaded guilty to DUI charges after causing a crash that killed three people in 2021.
- One victim's family opposes Barlow's potential parole, citing insufficient prison time.
- Barlow expresses remorse and aims to advocate against drunk driving after he is released.
SALT LAKE CITY — Myron Millsap Barlow, of Bluffdale, says he will never drink and drive again and wants to speak to others about sobriety to prevent another tragic crash like the one he caused.
"I take this very seriously. I know I can't change (what happened). But I can definitely be a staunch advocate against drunk driving and for sobriety. I know it doesn't fix anything, but that is my ultimate goal," he told the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole on Tuesday.
But Matt Langley, brother of David Langley — one of three people killed in Barlow's crash — feels three years in prison isn't nearly enough time.
"I don't feel he cares, I don't feel he's remorseful, and I don't forgive him. And I hope he never gets out of prison," he said.
On June 29, 2021, Barlow crashed his Ford F-250 into the back of a Toyota Prius, which was forced to stop on I-15 in Kaysville due to debris on the road. The Prius was then pushed into a Chevy Malibu. Barlow's blood-alcohol level was over three times the legal limit, according to charging documents.
"(He) admitted drinking through the late evening hours of June 28 until the early morning of June 29. He then drove from Oregon to Utah, stopping in Mountain Home, Idaho, and Tremonton. (Barlow) admitted he had consumed alcohol during both of those stops, and then traveled south until the crash occurred in Kaysville," charging documents state.
Steve Cotler, 77, Ariana Cotler, 37, and a family dog were pronounced dead at the scene. David Langley suffered critical injuries and died five months later. Another woman also suffered critical injuries.
Barlow pleaded guilty to three counts of negligent automobile homicide while driving under the influence and one count of DUI, all third-degree felonies. He was ordered to serve up to five years in prison for each count, all to run consecutively, making his potential sentence up to 20 years. If he serves all his time, he will remain in prison until 2041.
On Tuesday, Barlow, now 42, went before the parole board for the first time. He spoke slowly and often took long pauses as he explained what was happening in his life at that time.
"I was going through some family issues. I headed home from a job to try and see if I could mitigate those situations. And I chose to self-medicate, made some unhealthy choices while making that trip," he said, while adding that at that point in his life, "I used alcohol to numb things I didn't like, that I should have been dealing with head on. I chose that route."
David Langley's mother, Joyce Langley, and brother Matt Langley also addressed the board Tuesday and spoke for nearly a half-hour about how their loved one's death has devastated them.
"I'm grieving my son everyday," Joyce Langley said. "Nothing can compare to losing the life of a child. You lose a piece of yourself."
Matt Langley said his brother suffered a "slow, painful, agonizing death" over the course of several months. When he and his father first arrived at the hospital after the crash, he said his brother was unrecognizable because of the extent of his injuries. His family recalled the numerous surgeries David Langley had to undergo in the days following the crash.
But even after he awoke from his coma and his brother could look into his eyes, "I knew I would never get my brother back," he said. "So much of his brain had been smashed that he would never make a full recovery."
About five months after the crash, David Langley got pneumonia, which along with his extensive brain injury contributed to his death.
"His father and I should never have outlived him," Joyce Langley said. "(No parent) should ever have to view their child's certificate of death or sign their cremation papers.
"We know that he's going to be released some day. We don't think it should be today," she said in closing.
Matt Langley was a little angrier in his remarks to the board, calling it an "insult" that Barlow was already being granted a hearing.
"I'm very disappointed that Mr. Barlow is already being considered for parole. It has been a little over three years since my brother died," he said, adding that he doesn't believe three years is long enough for Barlow to grasp the consequences of his actions.
Matt Langley told the board that Barlow "made selfish, harmful decisions," and he doesn't believe his behavior will change.
"(My) family is and will always suffer because of the destruction (caused) by Mr. Barlow," he said.
When asked if he wanted to respond to their comments, Barlow replied, "They have every right to feel the way they do. I'm not in their shoes. … I can't even put it into words how it must feel."
Barlow said that "remorse and sorry" doesn't do justice for what happened. But he believes the classes he's taken while in prison will help him be a better person whenever he is released.
"I am just so sorry. There's no words," he said.
The full five-member board will now vote whether to grant parole.
