A married couple from Oregon have died after being struck by lumber that slid off a flatbed truck that was passing them while on a cycling trip.

Christian Deaton, 52, and Michelle Deaton, 48, from Portland, were killed while on their bike ride vacation around Napa Valley, California. Christian died at the scene on Tuesday, and Michelle passed away later in hospital. 

The couple, who both worked for Nike HQ and had been married 21 years, were biking on Silverado Trail at 11am when a truck driver tried to pass them. The truck was traveling around 40mph in the 55mph speed limit zone. 

The lumber that was on the back of the three-axle 2018 Freightliner flatbed truck quickly shifted to the right, and hit the cyclists.

According to California Highway Patrol, the 55-year-old truck driver was a man from Vallejo. He stayed at the scene and is co-operating with investigators. 

Christian Deaton, 52, and Michelle Deaton, 48, from Portland , were killed on their bike ride around Napa Valley. Christian died at the scene, and Michelle died later in hospital

The couple, who both worked for Nike HQ and had been married 21 years, were biking on Silverado Trail at 11am when a truck driver tried to pass them. The truck was traveling around 40 mph

A truck is seen carrying the bicycles following the tragic hit

The bike lane on the stretch of road that the married couple were hit is outlined by a strip of white paint – and there are signs posted along Silverado Trail warning drivers of bicyclists on the road, Kara Vernor, from Napa County Bicycle Coalition, said. 

She added: ‘To see two people lose their lives in this manner is really tragic and unsettling.

‘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.’ 

Christian was the VP of Product and Merchandising at NIKE Swim, and Michelle was an EQ Design Studio Director. She worked for the company for 23 years. 

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They lived together in a $1million penthouse apartment in Portland. 

The beloved couple had been in Napa on a two-week road trip, with the aim of going to a string of concerts, according to their friends. They would camp in their airstream and then enjoy festivals while on their vacation.  

Their next stop, after California, was meant to be Las Vegas.  

Elizabeth LeMay, a friend of the couple, said in tribute: ‘They shared so much love for each other. They were a couple you come across once in a lifetime.’

The lumber that was on the back of the three-axle 2018 Freightliner flatbed truck quickly shifted to the right, and hit the cyclists. Pictured: Silverado Trail

Christian’s father Greg Deaton wrote online: ‘I lost my son Christian and my daughter in law Michelle in a tragic bicycle accident a couple of days ago. 

‘They were so special and everyone who knew them, their lives were enriched. And everyone who knew them are now mourning their loss. Pray for us.’ 

Cholee Thompson, who was Michelle’s best friend, said: ‘Life was their hobby – there was never a moment where they weren’t going to make the most of it.

‘They lived life so big that the hole that they left in all of us is just gaping.

‘The two of them weren’t perfect and they always strove to be better, but they really were pretty damn close to perfect.

‘They had been married over 20 years, but they were a couple that it 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 this connection.’