Devyn Hendricks dies in fatal Gillette car crash
Fatal Gillette car crash death of Devyn Hendricks
A 32-year-old individual identified as Devyn Hendricks passed away last week due to injuries sustained when he was accidentally struck by his female companion. Now, 29-year-old Dana Johnson faces a new charge of aggravated vehicular homicide for allegedly causing her former partner’s fatal injuries.
Johnson was initially bound over to the District Court on multiple charges, including two counts of aggravated assault, driving while intoxicated with a child passenger present, endangering minors, and failing to remain at the accident scene. However, her case was subsequently sent back to the Circuit Court after the victim, Devyn Hendricks, was pronounced deceased.
According to official court documents, Hendricks was declared dead on July 12, a week after the incident. The sole major injuries noted were to his head, and these were consistent with the trauma received during the collision. In Wyoming, aggravated vehicular homicide is classified as a felony, punishable by a maximum of two decades in prison and a $10,000 fine.
On July 5, police were dispatched to the 1900 block of Chestnut Circle following reports of a man being struck by an automobile. Upon arrival, officers discovered a man lying underneath a black SUV, suffering from critical injuries. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a woman, later identified as Johnson, exit the driver’s seat and flee the scene of the accident.
Johnson was located shortly after the crash near her apartment on East Walnut Street, approximately six blocks away from the incident location. Law enforcement noted her breath smelled of alcohol, and she exhibited signs of extreme exhaustion from running. According to the court documents, she informed the officers that she had been out for a walk and that her boyfriend, Devyn Hendricks, had been hit by the vehicle.
The account provided by Johnson details that she and Hendricks were at the Montgomery Bar when Hendricks received a call from his 10-year-old son, who reported that his mother’s boyfriend had assaulted him. Johnson then drove Hendricks in her Cadillac Escalade to the residence of the boy’s 30-year-old mother, Hendricks’ former partner. Hendricks exited the vehicle and began an argument with his ex-girlfriend. The two minor children got into Johnson’s car, and she drove away to prevent them from witnessing the altercation.
Johnson stated she attempted to calm the boys for a few minutes before driving back to retrieve Hendricks. The children exited the vehicle and left the doors open. At that moment, the woman involved opened the passenger side door and began striking Johnson in the head. According to Johnson’s version of events, she remembered seeing Hendricks standing near the SUV while she was being attacked. In an attempt to stop the assault, Johnson drove forward, resulting in her striking Hendricks. She then fled the scene, reportedly out of panic, due to not knowing how to respond.
Johnson successfully completed field sobriety tests but informed the officers she did not feel capable of driving. Approximately two and a half hours after the crash, she underwent a breath test, which registered her blood alcohol content at 0.065%. Police subsequently interviewed the other woman involved. She reported that when Johnson and Hendricks arrived, Hendricks exited the vehicle, and her two sons, who lived with Hendricks, entered the car. Johnson then drove away, which upset the woman due to concerns about Johnson’s past behavior, leading to a brief argument with Hendricks.
Upon Johnson’s return, the woman opened the passenger side door. Johnson allegedly accelerated immediately, dragging the other woman for a short distance. Just before she saw Hendricks being struck, her boyfriend assisted the woman in getting back up. Surveillance footage from neighbors captures the incident. Johnson can be seen pulling into a dead-end street, after which Hendricks exits. A boy is seen entering the vehicle, which then drives away before returning shortly after. When the Cadillac returns, the woman is heard yelling, “Give me my motherf***ing kid.” Johnson stops the vehicle, and three individuals appear in her headlights. The woman approaches the SUV, opens the passenger side door, and Johnson accelerates, causing the other woman to fall to the ground and striking Hendricks, who was standing near the front of the car.
A forensic interview was conducted with Hendricks’ 10-year-old son. He explained that he and his brother got into Johnson’s car because they wished to leave the premises. Johnson drove the vehicle a short distance away. The boy mentioned he then remembered he had left his phone behind, and Johnson drove back to the original location. At this point, the child indicated he no longer wished to discuss the matter.
Based on the investigation, law enforcement concluded that Johnson disregarded a “substantial and unjustifiable risk” that her actions would cause serious harm, by accelerating while knowing Hendricks was in immediate proximity to the vehicle.
Earlier in the week, Johnson had also been bound over to the District Court on charges of possessing methamphetamine and marijuana. Police discovered controlled substances and related paraphernalia during a search of her apartment, including a digital scale, a black container, and a jeweler’s bag, all containing traces of methamphetamine residue. Children’s laundry was found in the bedroom where these items were located. Johnson has two prior convictions for drug possession from August 2024.
