Christian and Michelle Deaton, Portland cyclist couple killed in freak accident when they were struck by jutting piece of wood as a a lumber truck tried to pass them as they rode in Napa Valley.
A Portland, Oregon couple were killed when the pair, married Nike executives were struck by piece of lumber jutting off the back of a truck as they cycled in Napa Valley, California.
Christian and Michelle Deaton were biking down the Silverado Trail on the outskirts of Napa at about 11 a.m. Tuesday when a flatbed truck tried to go around them, The Oregonian reported.
At some point, lumber stacked in the bed of the 2018 Freightliner shifted, leading to part of the wood hanging over the end of the truck — striking the Deatons.
Freak accident
Christian, 52, died at the scene. Michelle, 48, died at the hospital, according to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office.
At the time the truck was traveling at around 40mph.
The 55-year-old driver — a man from Vallejo who cops did not identify — stayed on-scene during the investigation, according to NBC.
Police have not said whether he faces any criminal charges.
Meanwhile, friends mourned the lighthearted, adventurous couple, who had been married for 21 years, and who travelled extensively along with staying physically active.
‘Life was their hobby – there was never a moment where they weren’t going to make the most of it,’ Cholee Thompson, a friend who first met Michelle on a group vacation, told The Oregonian.
‘They shared so much love for each other,’ Elizabeth LeMay, another friend of the couple who formerly worked with Christian at Nike, told The Oregonian. ‘They were a couple you come across once in a lifetime.’
Warning signs of cyclists on the road on notorious stretch of road
Christian was a vice president of product and merchandising at Nike Swim and Michelle an EQ design studio director, according to the Daily Mail.
Christian worked as the VP of Product and Merchandising at Nike Swim, while Michelle, who had been with the company for 23 years, worked as an EQ Design Studio Director.
They lived in a million-dollar penthouse apartment in Portland, the outlet said.
The pair had been in Napa as part of a two-week road trip that included a string of concerts and stops in California and Las Vegas.
Kara Vernor, from Napa County Bicycle Coalition, described the stretch of road where the couple were struck, saying the bike lane is outlined by white paint with signs warning drivers of cyclists on the road.
Told Vernor: ‘To see two people lose their lives in this manner is really tragic and unsettling.’ Adding, ‘Silverado trail is on the high-injury network. So, data does show that there are more severe and fatal collisions on that road than many of the other roads in the county.’
