Daniel Richard Bryant, a 33‑year‑old man from Cedar Springs, Michigan, has been charged after a pickup truck he was driving struck and killed 3‑year‑old Estella Johnson, a girl he was caring for. Authorities say he may have been drinking at the time and was driving recklessly in a mobile‑home park, where Estella was running beside the vehicle.
What happened in the incident
- On April 3, 2026, around 4:10 p.m., deputies responded to the 13000 block of Darcy Circle NE after a report that a child had been hit by a pickup truck. Estella was pronounced dead at the scene from severe injuries.
- Bryant, who was identified as the driver, told police he and Estella were “just racing up the street,” with the girl running alongside the truck in a Cedar Springs mobile‑home park as he drove back from a family member’s home with another child.
- He claimed he was driving about 10 mph, heard the child’s sibling yell “Stop,” and only then realized Estella was under the truck, saying she “ran under” the vehicle. Investigators, however, noted signs of reckless driving, including recent acceleration tire marks near the home.
Charges and factors in the case
- Bryant is charged with:
- Reckless driving causing death
- Second‑degree child abuse
- Authorities say alcohol may have been a factor: officers reported an odor of alcohol, and Bryant admitted he is an alcoholic who drinks about half a gallon of alcohol per day. He also has a prior reckless driving conviction.
- A judge ordered Bryant held on a $500,000 bond, and he is scheduled to return to court on April 15 for a probable‑cause hearing, with prosecutors indicating more charges are possible as the investigation continues.
Witness accounts and community reaction
- Neighbors described a harrowing aftermath: one man said he tried CPR on Estella but she was already gone by the time paramedics arrived; another recalled telling the mother, Alyssa, to come home immediately, saying “Your daughter’s just been run over,” and watching her break down in grief.
- Those who knew Estella remember her as a vibrant, curious, and outgoing child, with her obituary calling her “feisty” and someone who loved to pretend, explore, and fully immerse herself in play. The case has shaken the local community, as the toddler’s death appears to have come during what others described as a casual, everyday moment in a residential neighborhood.
