The brother of Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt was struck and killed in a hit-and-run accident Wednesday night in Georgia.
According to a police report, Richard Bartlett III was killed in Johns Creek, which is located about 25 miles northeast of Atlanta.
WGCL-TV reported that Bartlett was struck when he was trying to assist with a mattress that was strapped to the hood of his girlfriend’s car. The woman pulled to the right-hand side of the road. Police capt. Todd Hood said Bartlett, trailing in another vehicle, pulled off into a left-hand turn lane. After exiting his vehicle, Bartlett was struck by an oncoming car shortly after 9:30 p.m. and died from his injuries.
“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 told the TV station.
The vehicle that struck Bartlett was described as a dark four-door sedan, possibly a BMW, according to the police report.
Tuitt’s mother, Tamara Tuitt-Bartlett, is a deputy in the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s office.
Tuitt, a former second-round pick from Notre Dame, is entering his eighth season with the Steelers. He has not attended any voluntary offseason organized team activities, which conclude next week.
