A family is speaking out after two cyclists were killed in a freak accident while visiting Wine Country.
Christian and Michelle Deaton were killed Tuesday when they were hit by wood a driver was hauling in a passing truck in Napa County. They were visiting from Portland, Oregon.
The couple’s family in the Midwest is leaning on each other now. Carolyn Deaton is Christian’s mother. She lives outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She said it was always an adventure with the Deatons, from hiking to surfing to safaris and more.
Carolyn told NBC Bay Area Wednesday that the couple truly lived for every moment.
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“They were just two peas in a pod,” she said. “They just had similar personalities and characteristics and same passions about things.”
Carolyn said the couple had been married for 20 years and both of them worked at Nike in the Portland area.
On Tuesday, the couple was in Napa County, a place Christian’s mother said they had been many times. They went for a bike ride on the Silverado Trail, just north of Oak Knoll Road.
The California Highway Patrol says at around 11 a.m., a wood haul from a driver in a passing truck shifted and struck both cyclists.
The CHP said the driver stayed stopped north of the scene and several witnesses stopped to assist. Christian died at the scene. While Michelle was taken to the hospital, where she later died.
Carolyn said family and friends have been around since they got news of their deaths.
“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 just drifts right back to that,” she said.
Kara Vernon is an executive director of the Napa County Bicycle Coalition, an organization that aims to make riding a bike in the county safe, convenient and accessible for all ages and abilities. She spoke to NBC Bay Area on her reaction to the incident.
“My stomach dropped,” Vernon said. “Every day, we’re out there riding on the roads and so, it’s really upsetting to think that you could be riding along lawfully doing something that’s good for yourself and the environment. And the next minute, have you life taken from you."
Vernon added while what happened to the Deatons isn’t common, the city of Napa itself fairs poorly when it comes to traffic safety among cities of similar size in California. She said that many cyclists even try to avoid Silverado Trail because of unsafe speeds and drunk driving.
“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,” Vernon said.
Vernon is calling for more cooperation from different agencies that own the roadways to create separation between the vehicle and bike lanes. She said at this point, it’s unclear if they will erect ghost bikes for the Deatons as she would like to clear that with the family first.
Back in Wisconsin, Carolyn said she has no words for the gratefulness she feels to have her support network. She also said is calling on a higher power for comfort.
“I know they’re both in heaven. So, I have to rejoice in that,” she said. “I know that, so that makes it 100% easier.”
