Richard Bartlett III, the younger brother of Pittsburgh Steelers starting defensive end Stephon Tuitt, was reportedly killed in a hit-and-run accident in Atlanta this week.
CBS 46 reports Bartlett, 23, was struck by an oncoming car and died from injuries sustained in the accident, which occurred in the left-hand turn lane near the boat entrance of the Chattahoochee River on Wednesday night.
“The victim was following a girlfriend in a vehicle. She had a mattress strapped to the top of her car. From what we understand they may have stopped to secure it," said Captain Todd Hood of the Johns Creek Police Department via CBS 46. "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."
“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 a witness described the suspect vehicle as "a dark, possibly black in color, four-door sedan" which they believed "was most likely a BMW."
CBS 46 reports Bartlett's family returned to the scene of the accident on Thursday including Bartlett's mother, Tamara Tuitt-Bartlett, a deputy with the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office.
Stephon Tuitt, a second-team Associated Press All-American at Notre Dame in 2012, was selected by the Steelers at No. 46 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft and has made 79 starts at defensive end in 91 appearances, recording 246 tackles, 34.5 sacks, and 48 tackles for loss, during his seven-year NFL career.
Local authorities are seeking public assistance in identifying the suspect vehicle.
“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,” Hood said.
Anyone with information related to the hit-and-run accident is advised to call (470)-774-3358.
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