Trial ordered in Napa in death of cyclists killed by wood

Judge Scott Young made the ruling during a preliminary hearing Wednesday afternoon in Napa County Superior Court.

Porfirio Sanchez, who worked for Central Valley Builders Supply/Foster Lumber Yards, is charged with vehicular manslaughter and other charges in connection with the deaths of Christian and Michelle Deaton.

The couple, who lived in Portland, Oregon, visited the Napa Valley for a bike ride on October 17, 2023.

The Deatons were biking north that morning, just south of 5310 Silverado Trail, when they were struck by a piece of wood that had been swung from the bed of a truck driven by Sanchez. Both Christian and Michelle died that day.

On Wednesday, Napa County Deputy District Attorney Shashawnya Worley presented surveillance video of Sanchez unloading wood at a home on Hardman Avenue. The video shows a piece of wood left on the bed of the truck, with one strap used to hold the board on the bed.

The sign, which was more than 10 feet long, should have been secured with three straps under safety standards, testified Ruben Avena, director of safety fleet and facilities for Central Valley.

Shortly after Sanchez left the work area, a witness saw Sanchez’s truck and the piece of wood now spinning perpendicularly off the side of the truck. That witness then saw the piece of wood strike both Deatons.

According to the death certificates, both Christian and Michelle Deaton died of “severe brain trauma.”

Worley also presented dashcam video from Sanchez’s truck as he passed the Deatons. It looks like he heard or felt something because he looks in his rearview mirror, his side mirrors and over his shoulder. He stopped about a quarter to a half mile from the crash site.

He is then seen exiting his truck and adjusting or securing the sign and straps on the truck bed.

Gabe Deaton, Christian Deaton’s brother, drove from Portland to Napa to attend the preliminary hearing.

He wanted to show his support for his brother and sister-in-law, Gabe Deaton said, adding that he was confident Christian and Michelle would have done the same for him.

Sanchez faces charges of vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run, and misdemeanor charges including altering evidence and providing false information to a police officer.

That accusation comes from Sanchez telling law enforcement officers that he did not touch or manipulate the wood and straps after he stopped, even though video evidence showed otherwise.

Sánchez could be sentenced to up to six years in prison. An arraignment is scheduled for July 18 in Napa District Court.

Sanchez and his employer, Central Valley Builders Supply, are also named in a civil wrongful death lawsuit. That complaint was filed by Douglas Miller, Michelle Deaton’s father, along with Carolyn and Donald Deaton, Christian’s parents.