Shocking way married Nike executives died on Napa Valley trip

Two married Nike executives have died after a shocking incident during a cycling trip in famous wine country.

Two married Nike executives have died during a cycling trip in California’s famous Napa Valley.

Local media reports the couple from Portland were hit by lumber that slid off the bed of a passing truck.

Christian and Michelle Deaton had been biking down the Silverado Trail on the outskirts of Napa at about 11am Tuesday, local time, when a flatbed truck tried to go around them at about 64km/h, The Oregonian reported.

At some point, lumber stacked in the bed of the 2018 Freightliner shifted so part of the wood hung over the end of the truck — and it struck the Deatons, the newspaper said.

Mr Deaton, 52, died at the scene and Ms Deaton, 48, died at the hospital, according to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office.

Christian and Michelle Deaton died last week when they were reportedly struck by lumber in a passing flat-bed. Picture: Instagram/Christian Deaton

The 55-year-old driver — a man from Vallejo who police did not identify — stayed on-scene during the investigation, according to NBC.

Police have not said whether he faces any criminal charges.

Meanwhile, friends mourned the lighthearted, adventurous couple, who had been married for 21 years and loved to travel and stay physically active.

“Life was their hobby – there was never a moment where they weren’t going to make the most of it,” Cholee Thompson, a friend who first met Ms Deaton on a group vacation, told The Oregonian.

The couple were known for their adventurous spirit. Picture: Instagram/Christian Deaton

Both were executives at Nike, and lived in a million-dollar penthouse in Portland. Picture: Instagram/Christian Deaton

Ms Deaton was strong but prone to giggling, Ms Thompson said. And she was always up for new experiences, whether that meant going on a spontaneous hike, a bike trip or kayaking.

Mr Deaton, meanwhile, sang, danced and played air guitar whenever he and his friends sat around listening to vinyl records, she said.

“They shared so much love for each other,” Elizabeth LeMay, another friend of the couple who formerly worked with Mr Deaton at Nike, told The Oregonian.

“They were a couple you come across once in a lifetime.”

The Deatons were reportedly struck by lumber that shifted in the truck just as it tried to pass them. Picture: NBC

Mr Deaton was a vice president of product and merchandising at Nike Swim and Ms Deaton an EQ design studio director, according to the Daily Mail.

They lived in a million-dollar penthouse apartment in Portland, the outlet said.

The pair had been in Napa as part of a two-week road trip that included a string of concerts and stops in California and Las Vegas, the Daily Mail said.

“They lived life so big that the hole that they left in all of us is just gaping,” Ms Thompson told The Oregonian.

“The two of them weren’t perfect, and they always strove to be better,” she continued. “But they really were pretty damn close to perfect.”

This article originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission