By Cameron Probert / Tri-City Herald
The 2-year-old son of a Benton County deputy prosecutor is facing a life without his father, mother and sisters after a devastating car crash on the Fourth of July.
Brad Bartlett, 35, missed a stop sign at Sellards Road as he was headed out of town with his family to a small cabin for the long holiday weekend.
The crash killed Bartlett, his wife Alex, 31, their 9-year-old daughter Scarlett and 4-week-old daughter Violet.
Their son Grant was the sole survivor and now the Tri-Cities community is rallying to support him.
An online fundraiser for the toddler’s education had raised more than $30,000, as of Monday afternoon.
“Anyone who knew Brad and Alex knew they adored their family,” Brad’s brother and fundraiser organizer Jason Bartlett posted.
“As Grant comes out of this, he will carry on their legacy and we will cherish the pieces of the rest of the family we see in him — the wry smile from dad, mom’s eyes and a little bit of spunk from his sister Scarlett.”
Jason Bartlett, who lives in Woodinville, said Grant miraculously suffered just a few bruises and needed a couple stitches after their small SUV was broadsided by a Ford F-250 in the rural intersection south of Benton City.
Grant was briefly in a Seattle hospital and is in the custody of Brad’s parents, court documents show.
Brad Bartlett was new to the Tri-Cities, having moved here to take a job in the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office in March. Before that he worked for a private law firm in Seattle and as an attorney with the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Jason said his brother loved working on behalf of the community. He had also spent almost two years as an assistant U.S. Attorney in New Mexico and two years as a prosecutor for the state of New Mexico.
“I will cherish the time I went to see him in court where he was trying a DWI (driving while intoxicated) for the state of New Mexico,” Jason recalled. “It reminded me why I had to resort to small skirmishes to get my way, because arguing to the court (mom and dad) was his skill and would end up with me in jail (timeout).”
Benton County Prosecutor Eric Eisinger told the Tri-City Herald that Bartlett was an exceptional person and prosecutor, and his loss is felt by the office. He has seen an outpouring of support following the crash.
“He was a fantastic guy and had a heart for public service and a big heart for his family,” he said.
Jason Bartlett said on the fundraiser that Brad and Alex were excited to start on their new adventure in the Tri-Cities.
“They cherished their weekends away with family — small camping trips, adventures to Whidbey Island, WA, and visiting both sides of the family in Missouri and Texas.”
Jason said his family appreciated the outpouring of support since his brother’s death.
“We want to thank everyone who has reached out so far,” he said. “It’s amazing to see the lives Brad and Alex touched along the way.”
Donations can be made to the GoFundMe at bit.ly/BartlettFundraiser.
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