CEDAR CITY — A Milford man and his teenage stepson have been identified as the two who were killed in a collision on state Route 130 north of Enoch on Tuesday night.
Utah Highway Patrol officials on Thursday identified the driver who died as Jason Fint, 46, but did not release the name of the 16-year-old juvenile due to his age.
However, the boy has been publicly identified by family members as Ezekiel “Zeke” Narlock, a sophomore at Milford High School.
According to Utah Highway Patrol, at approximately 9:41 p.m. Tuesday, the Ford Econoline van that Fint was driving was heading northbound on SR-130 near mile marker 13 when it drifted into the opposite lane, sideswiped a farm implement that was being towed by a tractor before crashing nearly head-on into a southbound pickup truck. Both occupants of the van died at the scene.
Santana Jenkins, who is Ezekiel’s mother and was in a longtime domestic partnership with Fint, spoke to Cedar City News by telephone on Thursday afternoon. The tragedy leaves Jenkins’ three other children, ages 6, 5 and 2 months, without their father and stepbrother.
Jenkins said Fint and Zeke worked together building decks, fences, sheds and other outdoor structures. They had just finished a long day on the job finishing a pergola in Cedar City on Tuesday and were on their way home when the crash happened.
Jenkins said that she began to worry later that night when Fint and Zeke didn’t arrive home.
“I had gotten on Facebook and somebody had said there’s a really bad rollover accident on Minersville Highway,” Jenkins recalled, adding that her neighbor had tried to call the Iron County Sheriff’s Office to see if they could find out the type of vehicle involved.
“The next thing I know, I’m looking at my security cameras and there’s the Highway Patrol and a Beaver County Sheriff at my door,” Jenkins added.
Throughout the day on Thursday, many students and teachers at Milford High wore purple in honor of Zeke. A banner reading “We Love You Zeke” was displayed in one of the school’s hallways. Many people also decorated Fint’s red Dodge pickup truck with handwritten messages of love and support.
At Milford High’s home volleyball matches against Piute on Thursday night, many students and other fans on both sides were dressed in purple, Zeke’s favorite color.
Later in the evening, a candlelight vigil was held outside the high school, with principal David Cluff and several students sharing memories of Zeke.
Jenkins said Zeke especially enjoyed attending high school football games and hanging out with his friend, Hunter.
Jenkins also noted that Fint loved gardening. A memorial cross, adorned with a purple ribbon and bearing the names of dozens of loved ones, has been placed in their garden near some hot pepper plants.
A joint memorial service is pending, but Jenkins said it will be private and limited to family and a few close friends, after which cremation will take place.
Meanwhile, people have been providing support for Jenkins and her three young children.
“A lady is going to be making some T-shirts with both their names and their death date,” Jenkins said of one fundraising effort. “And, my car is getting fixed because it broke down. The owner of the Chevron is actually paying for my car renovation so that I have a reliable, safe car for the kids.”
Jenkins said she’s also been receiving monetary support through donations made to her Venmo account @Santana-Narlock-1 (see Ed. note).
In a Facebook post Thursday, Jenkins expressed her appreciation for the support she has received:
Small towns are one of the best, I can’t even tell you the love I have felt since the accident, people I don’t even know, and to be honest the blessings coming in. Jason Aldean was right try that in a small town, that song matches this town perfectly. Thank you Milford for the love and support.
Jenkins also shared several family photos that can be viewed in the gallery below.
Ed. note: When making charitable contributions, it is advisable to consult with professionals for tax advice and investment risks.
Photo Gallery
A recent photo of Ezekiel Narlock and his stepfather Jason Fint, Cedar City, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Santana Jenkins, St. George News / Cedar City News L-R: Jason Fint, Santana Jenkins, Ezekiel Narlock, and two of the family's younger children in St. George, Utah earlier in 2023, exact date not specified. | Photo courtesy of Santana Jenkins, St. George News / Cedar City News Ezekiel Narlock holds his baby sister, date and location not specified. | Photo courtesy of Santana Jenkins, St. George News / Cedar City News Students attending Milford High School's volleyball game against Piute wear purple and make "Z" signs in honor of Zeke Narlock, Milford, Utah, Sept. 7, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Santana Jenkins, St. George News / Cedar City News A banner in a Milford High School hallway reads "We Love You Zeke," Milford, Utah, Sept. 7, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Santana Jenkins, St. George News / Cedar City News A candlelight vigil was held at Milford High School on Sept. 7, 2023 in honor of sophomore Zeke Narlock, who died in a vehicle crash two nights earlier. | Screenshot image taken from a Facebook Live video, courtesy of Santana Jenkins, St. George News / Cedar City News A candlelight vigil was held at Milford High School on Sept. 7, 2023 in honor of sophomore Zeke Narlock, who died in a vehicle crash two nights earlier. | Screenshot image taken from a Facebook Live video, courtesy of Santana Jenkins, St. George News / Cedar City News Jason Fint's red Dodge pickup truck has been adorned with written messages of love and support, Milford, Utah, Sept. 7, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Santana Jenkins, St. George News / Cedar City News Jason Fint's red Dodge pickup truck has been adorned with written messages of love and support, Milford, Utah, Sept. 7, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Santana Jenkins, St. George News / Cedar City News Jason Fint and stepson Ezekiel Narlock in front of a patio deck they built at one of their job sites, date and location not specified. | Photo courtesy of Santana Jenkins, St. George News / Cedar City News An earlier photo of the pergola in Cedar City that Ezekiel Narlock and his stepfather Jason Fint were working on the day they died, Sept. 5, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Santana Jenkins, St. George News / Cedar City News Announcement shared on a Milford High School social media account, asking people to wear purple to the Sept. 7, 2023 volleyball games | Image courtesy of Santana Jenkins via Facebook, St. George News / Cedar City News A memorial placed in the garden near some hot pepper plants that Jason Fint had been growing, Sept. 8, 2023 | Image courtesy of Santana Jenkins via Facebook, St. George News / Cedar City News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.