The 23-year-old killed in a hit-and-run Wednesday night in Johns Creek was the brother of an NFL veteran and the son of a Gwinnett County deputy.
Police are still looking to identify the driver who struck Richard Bartlett III as he tried to secure a mattress and box spring to the top of a vehicle along McGinnis Ferry Road, officials said.
Bartlett was the brother of Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt, who attended Notre Dame and played high school football at Monroe Area High in Walton County. Tuitt, who was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft, has played seven seasons with the Steelers.
On Friday afternoon, Tuitt posted a photo of him and his brother on Instagram and thanked his followers for their condolences and well-wishes.
“You are in heaven living stress free,” he wrote. “I miss you so so so much bro.”
Bartlett’s mother, Tamara Bartlett, is a deputy with the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, the agency confirmed. A candlelight vigil was planned Saturday night at Collins Hill Park in Lawrenceville.
“Please keep Deputy Bartlett and her family in your prayers,” the sheriff’s office said in a tweet announcing the vigil.
The fatal wreck happened about 9:40 p.m. on McGinnis Ferry Road near the bridge over the Chattahoochee River, Johns Creek police said in a statement. Witnesses told officers the vehicle that struck Bartlett was a dark-colored four-door sedan, possibly a black BMW. Investigators believe the vehicle has damage to the right bumper and hood, windshield and passenger-side door.
The hit-and-run remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the case or the driver involved is asked to call Johns Creek police at 470-774-3358 or email investigator Alexander Hennessee at alexander.hennessee@johnscreekga.gov.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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