OZARK, Mo. – An Ozark man charged with leaving the scene of an injury accident that resulted in the death of an 18-year-old bicyclist in 2014 was in court in Christian County this week for a hearing on motions filed by his defense attorney.

Joshua A. Kent, 34, is accused of striking Timothy Sparks on Route NN west of Farmer Branch Road in north Springfield sometime during the night of July 3 or morning of July 4, 2014, according to court documents filed in the case. Passengers in the Jeep Wrangler told investigators that Kent was driving the vehicle in that area about 10:30 p.m. July 3 when they heard the vehicle strike something. All three said Kent did not stop and continued to drive after the impact.

A friend of Sparks told KOLR at the time that the 18-year-old had been at a birthday party with some friends when Sparks left around 10:30 that night.

Ozark Police Lieutenant Truman Isbell said after Sparks was hit, near the Waterford Subdivision, it was roughly an hour before he was found. He says Sparks wasn’t wearing a helmet and the light on his bike may not have be activated, but he says whoever hit Sparks would have to have known.

Kent later told an investigator that he thought he had struck a deer.

At a hearing Monday on Ozark, Kent’s attorney Joseph Passanise filed several motions regarding evidence and expert witnesses.

Circuit Judge Laura Johnson gave the state 15 days to object to one motion and set deadlines in June for the defense to identify expert witnesses and make those witnesses available for deposition.

Kent’s next court appearance is set for May 4 in Ozark, according to the Christian County Clerk’s office.