ATLANTA — Family and friends gathered Friday to remember a former SEC baseball trainer killed in an Atlanta crash.
Richie Wells died April 7 when a suspect connected to a Chick-fil-A robbery crashed into his car trying to escape from police on Piedmont Avenue.
Wells’ funeral was held in his New York hometown Friday.
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The 26-year-old graduated from the University of Kentucky’s College of Health Sciences.
Wells worked as an intern for the athletic department and later became the head baseball athletic trainer in 2022.
Former UK athletic trainer Josh Walker was Wells’ supervisor.
“He just absolutely cared so much for every person that was in his path,” Walker said. ”All we can do is take our memories, take our life lessons given by Richie and live them out. That’s how we can honor Richie."
The university said Wells left the program after their College World Series run in 2024 and moved to the Atlanta area.
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Georgia State Patrol said Santario Barnwell, 23, will face charges for the crash that killed Wells.
Troopers said Barnwell was trying to speed away from Atlanta police when the car ran a red light and hit Wells’ car.
Multiple sources told Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes that Barnwell is the suspect connected to several robberies around metro Atlanta, including at the Chick-fil-A at Decatur Village.
An employee told police the suspect took a cash drawer from a register at the drive-thru window and sped away.
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