- Christian Deaton, 52, and Michelle Deaton, 48, of Portland, were killed while cycling through Napa Valley
- The couple, who both worked for Nike headquarters, were biking on the Silverado Trail at 11 a.m. when a truck driver tried to pass them. The truck was traveling about 40 miles per hour
An Oregon couple has died after they were hit by a log that slid off a flatbed truck that passed them during a bike ride.
Christian Deaton, 52, and Michelle Deaton, 48, of Portland, were killed while on a cycling vacation in Napa Valley, California. Christian died at the scene of the accident on Tuesday and Michelle later died in hospital.
The couple, who both worked for Nike headquarters and had been married for 21 years, were biking on the Silverado Trail at 11 a.m. when a truck driver tried to pass them. The truck was traveling at approximately 40 mph in the 55 mph speed limit zone.
The wood that was in the bed of the 2018 Freightliner three-axle flatbed truck quickly shifted to the right, striking the cyclists.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the 55-year-old truck driver was a man from Vallejo. He remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators.
Christian Deaton, 52, and Michelle Deaton, 48, of Portland, were killed while cycling through Napa Valley. Christian died at the scene and Michelle died later in hospital
The couple, who both worked for Nike headquarters and had been married for 21 years, were biking on the Silverado Trail at 11 a.m. when a truck driver tried to pass them. The truck was traveling about 40 miles per hour
After the tragic accident, a truck can be seen transporting the bicycles
The bike path on the stretch of road where the couple was hit is marked by a white paint stripe – and there are signs posted on the Silverado Trail warning drivers of cyclists on the road, said Kara Vernor of the Napa County Bicycle Coalition.
She added: “To see two people lose their lives in this way is truly tragic and disturbing.”
“The Silverado Trail is on the high-injury network. “So the data shows that serious and fatal accidents occur more frequently on this road than on many other roads in the county.”
Christian was vice president of product and merchandising at NIKE Swim and Michelle was head of the EQ Design Studio. She worked for the company for 23 years.
They lived together in a $1 million penthouse apartment in Portland.
According to their friends, the loved-up couple had been on a two-week road trip in Napa with the aim of attending a series of concerts. They camped in their airstream and then enjoyed festivals on vacation.
Your next stop after California should be Las Vegas.
Elizabeth LeMay, a friend of the couple, said in tribute: “They shared so much love for each other.” “They were a once-in-a-lifetime couple.”
The wood that was in the bed of the 2018 Freightliner three-axle flatbed truck quickly shifted to the right, striking the cyclists. Pictured: Silverado Trail
Christian’s father Greg Deaton wrote online: “I lost my son Christian and daughter-in-law Michelle in a tragic bicycle accident a few days ago.”
“They were very special and enriched the lives of everyone who knew them.” And everyone who knew them is now mourning their loss. Pray for us.’
Cholee Thompson, Michelle’s best friend, said: “Life was their hobby – there was never a moment when they didn’t want to make the most of it.”
“They lived such big lives that the hole they left in all of us is just gaping.”
“They weren’t perfect and were always striving to be better, but they were really damn close to perfection.”
“They had been married for over 20 years, but they were a couple that felt like they had always been together.” You know, if you believed in past lives, they were probably together in past lives too, because they just had that connection.