Richard Bartlett III, the younger brother of Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt, was killed in a hit-and-run traffic accident in the Atlanta suburb of Johns Creek, Georgia on Wednesday, according to the Johns Creek Police Department.
Then accident occurred around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Johns Creek Police captain Todd Hood said.
“The victim was following a girlfriend in a vehicle,” Hood told WGCL-TV. “She had a mattress strapped to the top of her car. From what we understand, they may have stopped to secure it. She had pulled over to the right-hand side of the roadway. The victim had pulled into the left-hand turn lane right there at the boat entrance to the Chattahoochee River.”
Hood said that police believe the driver of the vehicle knew that they had struck Bartlett and are seeking the public’s help in finding the driver.
“We do know that the vehicle turned around in the intersection right there possibly to see what had happened or what they had hit and at that point they fled the scene,” Hood said. “The Mom and girlfriend on scene at that point said they believe the vehicle was a dark, possibly black in color, four door sedan. One of the witnesses believes it was most likely a BMW. … “We’re asking the public to step forward and give us any information about the vehicle, the driver or the owner of the vehicle so we can hold these people accountable.”
Tuitt, 28, was born in Florida, but grew up in Lawrenceville, Ga., about 30 minutes from Johns Creek. Tuitt’s mother, Tamara Tuitt-Bartlett, is a deputy with the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office. Johns Creek is just over the border in neighboring Fulton County.