Willits man arrested in crash that injured him, five children

A man and five children were seriously injured Thursday night when their Jeep crashed near Willits, the CHP reported.

The driver, Michael Cruce, 38, of Willits, was arrested. He was driving a 2014 Jeep Patriot on East Side Road at about 8:30 p.m. when he lost control of the vehicle, which then careened down an embankment, the CHP said. The Jeep rolled an unknown number of times before landing on its roof in a creek bed, the CHP said.

Alcohol is suspected of being a factor in the crash, which injured Cruce and five boys and girls ages 12 to 14, the CHP said. The names of the children, all from Willits, were not released.

Four of the people in the vehicle suffered major injuries and two had moderate injuries, the CHP said. The two children with moderate injuries were taken to the local hospital in Willits. The other three children were flown to Oakland Children’s Hospital and UC Davis Medical Center, the CHP said.

Cruce was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with major injuries.

The investigation into the crash is continuing, the CHP said.