A HORRIFIC freak accident involving a loose piece of lumber has resulted in the death of a couple.

Portland, Oregon, residents Christian Deaton, 52, and his wife, Michelle, 48, were cycling on the Silverado Trail in Napa County, California, on Tuesday when tragedy struck.

At around 11am PST, a flatbed truck carrying lumber and driving on a road near the trail had a piece wiggle loose and fall off, striking both cyclists and killing them, according to what Napa County sheriff’s spokesperson Henry Wofford told Los Angeles ABC affiliate KABC.

California Highway Patrol Officer Vince Pompliano also told the outlet that a preliminary investigation found that the couple was traveling north on the trail when the 2018 Freightliner traveling in the same direction had the lumber shift and hit them.

“It appeared the load shifted and collided with the bicyclists traveling in the same direction on the roadway,” the CHP officer said.

The Napa County coroner confirmed the identities of the Deatons on Wednesday, per Daily Beast.

Christian Deaton was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency personnel arrived, per Pompliano.

It remains undetermined if alcohol, drugs, or excessive speed played a part in the accident.

Michelle Deaton was transported to a nearby hospital but later succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead as well.

Investigators noted that the driver of the flatbed truck, Porfirio Sanchez, a resident of Vallejo, California, about 32 miles northeast of San Francisco, waited at the scene for police and EMS and cooperated fully, per CBS News.

Friends of the couple have since come forward after they were officially identified and told Oakland Fox affiliate KTVU that the couple were “thoughtful, loving, and hardworking.”

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They also said the pair were avid cyclists.

One friend noted they were “comforted that they went together.”

As The U.S. Sun previously reported, the incident with the cyclists is also one of two freak accidents to occur in October and result in fatalities.

Samantha Hayes, 27, a single mother of three, was mowing the lawns at her job at Broken Bow Airport in Oklahoma when the wing of a small aircraft landing on a nearby airstrip struck her in the head.

The pilot, James Baxter, 70, touched down on the runway at around 2.30pm and told the Oklahoma Highway Patrol he saw Hayes and tried to maneuver the plane out of her way.

Although the wing hit Hayes and killed her instantly.

Baxter was unharmed, but Hayes’ death is being investigated by authorities.

City Manager Vickie Patterson issued a heartfelt statement after the accident.

“We are heartbroken and devastated by the passing of one of our team members on September 29,” Patterson said.

“This is a terribly tragic accident, and our deepest sympathies go out to the employees’ family and friends.”

“It’s critical that we determine how this accident occurred so we can take steps to prevent something like this from happening again,” she continued.

“Our goal is to return every employee home safely every day.”

The city manager said that based on the investigation, extra safety measures may be put in place moving forward.