A Michigan man could spend years in prison after killing a 3-year-old girl in what appears to be a horrific accident. Estella Marie Johnson died on April 3, 2026, after Daniel Bryant, her mother’s now ex-fiancé, hit her with his truck. The pair appeared to be playing a game in a Michigan mobile home park when the accident occurred. As Estella ran alongside Bryant’s truck, the truck pulled her under, and she was run over. Neighbors rushed to help, but they could not revive the little girl. Deputies took Bryant into custody without incident as Estella’s mother watched sobbing.
The accident happened on a Friday afternoon.
In court documents obtained by WOOD, Bryant reportedly told deputies he was driving in the mobile home park when Estella began “racing” alongside his truck. He apparently had no idea he’d struck the child until another child alerted him and he stopped. T.J. Ollam reportedly saw the accident happen and ran to get his father, Terry Ollam Sr., who jumped in to help.
“I was doing compressions on her chest, but by the time cops or paramedics got here, she was already gone,” Terry Ollam told WOOD.
Terry Ollam contacted Estella’s mom to rush home.
Terry Ollam told WOOD he called Alyssa Johnson to deliver the devastating news.
“I said, ‘Alyssa, you need to get home right now. Your daughter’s just been run over,’” the neighbor recalled. “(Authorities) wouldn’t let her go near the body. … She sat across the street by that trailer and just bawled. Bawled, bawled, bawled and bawled.”
Bryant reportedly has a history of reckless driving.
Bryant, who was a father figure to Estella, pleaded guilty to reckless driving in 2021, which resulted in a suspended license, WOOD reported. In 2022, he was involved in a crash after failing to stop at a safe distance.
Per court documents, Bryant reportedly told the police he regularly consumed up to a “half a gallon” of alcohol per day, the outlet noted. Investigators shared concerns with a judge that Bryant might have been intoxicated the day of the accident.
Life will never be the same without Estella.
Her obituary describes a sweet and loving child who made her family proud every day.
“Estella gave her family a lifetime of unforgettable memories—each one filled with wonder, laughter, tenderness, and boundless love. She shared an especially unbreakable bond with her brother, Colton; the two were inseparable, cooking together, sleeping side by side, and playing endlessly, creating a connection that will forever be cherished,” the obituary reads.
Loved ones created a GoFundMe account to aid with final expenses. They’ve raised more than $20,000 thus far.
Bryant faces a charge of reckless driving causing death and second-degree child abuse, per WOOD. A judge ordered him remanded to Kent County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
The story seemed innocent, albeit ill-advised, until we read about the alcohol use. If he really was drunk, we think Bryant deserves the maximum sentence for taking a child from her mother and running a family’s life.
