Caruthers fire victim recalled as ‘wonderful’ person

The staff at Caruthers Unified remember Michelle Willis as a caring colleague who handled a variety of jobs during her 15-year career in the rural school district.

Willis died Monday when a fire erupted at her home at 13574 S. West Ave., near the corner with Henderson Road. The fire broke out when a truck crashed into the home at 2 a.m. The truck driver also died.

Willis, 55, was secretary to the principal at Caruthers High School, said Orin Hirschkorn, superintendent of Caruthers Unified.

He said Tuesday the district was in a state of mourning.

“Michelle was truly a wonderful person who cared deeply about the people she worked with, as well as the students in our district,” Hirschkorn said in a statement. “Words cannot possibly capture how much she meant to all of us, and the difficulty that lies ahead as we try and make sense of what has happened.”

Students remembered Willis as well. Manuel Martinez, 14, will begin his sophomore year at Caruthers High School in the fall. He frequently saw Willis while visiting the office.

“She was a really kind, sweet person,” said Martinez. “She would always greet people with a smile on her face.”

Flyers were posted in Caruthers Tuesday that outline a fund being set up through United Security Bank. Donations can be made at the Caruthers or Fresno branches, with proceeds to help Willis’ children pay for funeral expenses.

The flyer says donations should be payable to Brooke Stanley or Caleb Hall with “In memory of Michelle Willis” written on the memo line.

The flyer also says Willis’ family “wants everyone to know they are very thankful for the kind words, food and most importantly prayers. Michelle trusted Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior. They take comfort in knowing that she is with HIM!”

The driver of the truck that crashed into Willis’ home has not been identified by authorities. On Tuesday, Deputy Coroner Kelly Matlock said that the injuries the driver suffered in the crash made it impossible to confirm his identity without DNA testing, and that may take months.

The CHP has not yet reported why the truck went out of control. CHP Officer Sean Duncan said there is no clear timeline for a report to be released. He said that there would be a toxicology analysis performed on the driver; it is unknown at this time whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the collision.

This story was originally published June 23, 2015 at 12:42 PM with the headline "Caruthers fire victim recalled as ‘wonderful’ person."