“Was able to move out of the way”: Zachery Ty Bryan’s fiancé allegedly tried to run over actor before arrest

Zachery Ty Bryan's life drama deepened dramatically after the former Home Improvement star and his fiancée, Johnnie Faye Cartwright, both faced arrest following a chaotic incident that ripped through an Oregon camping site. Lane County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the disturbance on Saturday, November 29, finding a scene that unfolded near Big Fall Creek Road, milepost 5. They detailed the grim situation in a statement:

“On November 29th at about 12:30 p.m., Lane County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of reckless endangering in the area of Big Fall Creek Road milepost 5, a popular camping area northeast of Lowell.”

The investigation revealed that Zachery Ty Bryan and Cartwright were in a pickup truck with their three young children when the volatile situation began. Police learned that Zachery Ty Bryan stepped out and “began walking down a road.” Authorities then claimed Cartwright swerved the truck directly toward him, alleging she

“attempted to run over Bryan, crashing the truck with the children inside into the ditch.”

Though Bryan narrowly avoided injury,

“Bryan was able to move out of the way and avoid injury,” the officials shared.

However, the presence of the couple’s children during the crash added a particularly tragic layer to the incident.

“No one inside the pickup was injured,” police confirmed.

During deputies' interviews with the pair, officials allegedly

“observed signs that both were impaired.”

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Zachery Ty Bryan arrested for probation breach after fiancée’s alleged truck attack:

The legal repercussions regarding Bryan's situation were immediate and bifurcated. Johnnie Faye Cartwright faced the more severe charges, including attempted first-degree assault, three counts of reckless endangerment, and DUII. Crucially, Bryan's arrest was based on a court mandate from a prior case; police affirmed that the actor “was not supposed to be in contact with Cartwright.” He was booked for a probation violation stemming from an original assault charge. The statement concluded that

“The involved children were placed with a family member.”

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From fierce ambition to arrest: The stunning downward spiral of Zachery Ty Bryan

Friends and former colleagues remembered Zachery Ty Bryan as the quintessential hard worker: a talented soccer player, dedicated to family, propelled by a fierce ambition. That drive, established during the actor’s time starring alongside Tim Allen on the beloved ABC sitcom Home Improvement from 1991 to 1999, seemed to follow him into adulthood.

“No rich parents. No assistance. No handouts. No favors. No excuses. Straight hunger. Straight ambition. Straight hustle. If I want it, I’m gonna go get it. Period,” Bryan tweeted in July 2020,

The post captured the self-made narrative he championed. Yet, that same year marked a brutal deviation from the promising path. The star who seemingly possessed fame, faith, family, and financial stability found his problems made searingly public in October 2020. Officials in Oregon arrested him and charged him with felony strangulation after a disturbing incident involving Johnnie Faye Cartwright, who was not his wife at the time.

This event, which garnered significant media coverage, cracked his public image. Those who encountered Zachery Ty Bryan following that arrest suggested his public image was only the tip of the iceberg. The private man, sources alleged, had become mired in a complicated web that included arrests for domestic violence and driving under the influence, along with accusations of substance abuse, fraud, and a breach of family trust.

Separately, four sources stepped forward to claim Zachery Ty Bryan defrauded them through a scheme tied to an agriculture-technology startup. The amounts ranged individually from $\$5,000$ to $\$25,000$, totaling close to $\$50,000$ in alleged stolen funds. The investors believed Bryan duped them by providing fake contracts, worthless beyond the paper they were printed on. Even his TV father grappled with the dark trajectory. Asked about Zachery Ty Bryan, Tim Allen confessed:

“I don’t know what’s going on with him. Zach is a great kid who has grown into a complex man. All you can do is step aside and let somebody go through their process. At a certain point, he deviated from the guy I know to somebody who is reacting to situations that I had nothing to do with and can’t control.”

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The harrowing account that led to Zachery Ty Bryan's guilty plea:

As per a report shared by Us Weekly, in 2021, Zachery Ty Bryan struck a plea deal in the domestic violence case that stemmed from his October 2020 arrest in Oregon. The arrangement saw the actor avoid jail time after he pleaded guilty to two charges: menacing and fourth-degree assault. Prosecutors agreed to drop six other charges, including the serious counts of strangulation and coercion, in exchange for the guilty plea.

Bryan subsequently received a sentence of three years’ probation. A critical condition of his release stipulated that he was to

“have no further contact with the alleged victim.”

The assault incident, which became public knowledge shortly after, occurred just two weeks following Bryan’s announcement that he and his wife Carly Matros had ended their nearly 14-year marriage. Zachery Ty Bryan shared the news via Instagram, writing:

“Almost Fourteen years as best friends, soulmates, partners and then parents. It has been an incredible journey, but together, we’ve decided to turn the page and move on from our marriage.”