Wealthy married Nike chiefs killed by lumber that slid off truck on cycling trip

22 October 2023 , 15:08

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Christian Deaton, 52, and Michelle Deaton, 48, from Portland, were killed while on their bike ride vacation around Napa Valley (Image: NBC)

A married couple who both held high-ranking positions at Nike were killed on a cycling trip when they were struck by lumber that slid off the back of a truck that was overtaking them.

52-year-old Christian Deaton and 48-year-old Michelle Deaton, from Portland, Oregon, were killed on a cycling holiday around Napa Valley in California. The couple, who had been married for 21 years, were biking on Silverado Trail at 11am on Tuesday when the driver of a flatbed truck carrying lumber tried to pass them.

As he passed the couple, the truck was driving at around 40mph in the 55mph speed limit zone. But as he passed, the lumber that was on the back of the three-axle 2018 Freightliner truck quickly shifted to the right, striking the cyclists.

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Christian died at the scene while Michelle passed away later in the hospital. According to the California Highway Patrol, the truck driver, a 55-year-old man from Vallejo, stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

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

The couple's bikes lay on the side of the road after the crash (NBC)

"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 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. The couple lived together in their $1 million penthouse apartment in Portland.

They had been on a two-week road trip in Napa, hoping to go to a whole host of concerts while there, according to their friends. Christian and Michelle would camp in their airstream before going out to enjoy festivals.

After California, their next stop was due to be Las Vegas. The couple's family back in the Midwest is coming together in this difficult time. Christian's mother, Carolyn Deaton, lives outside of Milwaukee in Wisconsin.

She said it was always an adventure for the couple, who enjoyed everything from hiking to surfing safaris and more. She said: "They were just two peas in a pod. They just had similar personalities and characteristics and same passions about things."

Speaking about the loss of her son and daughter-in-law, Carolyn said: "I can't wrap my head around that, you know. You think you enjoy the company that you're with and all of a sudden, your mind drifts right back to that."

A truck carries away the bikes Christian and Michelle had been riding (NBC)

Elizabeth LeMay paid tribute to the couple, saying: "They shared so much love for each other. They were a couple you come across once in a lifetime."

Christian's father, Greg Deaton, posted a tribute online to his son, saying: "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."

Carolyn said she has no words for how grateful she feels for the support of those around her and is calling on a higher power for comfort. She said: "I know they're both in heaven. So, I have to rejoice in that. I know that, so that makes it 100 per cent easier."

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Michelle's best friend Choloee Thompson 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 us all 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."

Fiona Leishman