Charles William CruseObituary, Death – A tragic farm tractor accident has resulted in the death of a Marthaville man, as confirmed by the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred on September 22 at approximately 2:54 p.m. in the 9900 block of Louisiana Highway 120, close to Marthaville, when authorities responded to reports of a farm tractor collision that potentially involved fatal injuries.
A member of the Natchitoches Parish Fire Protection District #7 first noticed a Kubota farm tractor positioned strangely off the highway. After exiting his vehicle to investigate, he discovered 53-year-old Charles William Cruse on the tractor, suffering from what appeared to be fatal injuries. Unfortunately, Cruse was pronounced dead at the scene.
The subsequent investigation by the NPSO revealed that Cruse was operating the tractor on his property near a private driveway. During the operation, he drove beneath a low-hanging limb of a pine tree, which struck him while he was seated in the driver’s compartment. The impact of the limb caused Cruse to be ejected from the driver’s seat, pinning him against the Rollover Protection System Bar of the tractor, leading to the fatal injuries.