Portland Couple Killed In Napa Valley Bicycle Crash

NAPA VALLEY, CA — The Napa County Sheriff-Coroner's Office has identified two cyclists killed in a collision with a Freightliner flatbed truck Tuesday on Silverado Trail.

Christian Deaton, 52, and his wife, Michelle Deaton, 48, were a married couple from Portland, Oregon who were visiting Napa County, sheriff's Spokesperson Henry Wofford told Patch.

The couple's names were not released until their next of kin was notified. Their cause of death remained under investigation Wednesday, Wofford said.

The California Highway Patrol responded at 11 a.m. Tuesday to find Christian Deaton suffering from fatal injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Michelle Deaton was rushed to Queen of the Valley Medical Center where she was also pronounced dead.

The couple's LinkedIn accounts showed they were both long-term employees at Nike.

According to the CHP, Christian was riding a Trek and Michelle was riding a Specialized and they were traveling northbound on Silverado Trail in a designated bike lane.

The couple was just north of Oak Knoll Avenue when the crash happened.

The truck driver, a 55-year-old man from Vallejo, was also traveling northbound and was going about 40 mph in a 2018 Freightliner when a load he was transporting shifted to the right and projected beyond the right side of the flatbed truck, CHP Officer Vince Pompliano told Patch.

As the trucker passed the cyclists, the load which reportedly contained lumber, struck them —causing a traffic crash.

The driver was not injured and stopped just north of the crash site.

Several witnesses also stopped to help, Pompliano said.

The nonprofit organization Napa Valley Bicycle Coalition, which works to make riding anywhere in Napa County safe, convenient and accessible, commented about the deaths.

"This enormous, preventable loss is sitting heavy in our hearts and minds, as we know it is for those who ride locally and work toward safer streets," the Coalition said on Facebook. "Living here, riding here, and visiting here should be safe for all road users, and we are incredibly saddened that the Deatons were not kept safe."

The double-fatal crash remained under investigation Wednesday and the CHP had no updates to give.

Although the CHP's report Tuesday did not specify what type of load was being hauled on the flatbed, there were numerous reports the Deatons were struck by lumber.

In a statement emailed to Patch, Central Valley Builders, the company that owns the truck, said: "Central Valley is aware that one of our trucks was involved in an accident in Napa that resulted in two fatalities. We are devastated by this news, and our deepest sympathies are with the victims' families and loved ones. Central Valley is continuing to gather the facts to determine exactly what happened, including working closely with local law enforcement as they investigate this incident."