Two on motorcycle killed in Everett area crash

Two people were killed in a collision between a small pickup and a motorcycle Monday east of Everett.

The victims were identified by the State Patrol as Michael Tunney, 48, of Lake Stevens, and Erin Appel-Rianda, 41, of Bellingham.

Both were riding a 2000 Harley-Davidson motorcycle driven by Tunney, the Patrol reported.

Tunney had lived on Meridian Place Southeast near the south edge of Lake Stevens for about six years, according to neighbors.

The Patrol said the accident took place about 4:43 p.m. Monday on Highway 204 at 10th Street Southeast, about seven-tenths of a mile from the Highway 2 trestle leading to Everett.

The road there is being repaved, with orange construction barrels and temporary lane markings regulating traffic.

The accident occurred as the motorcycle was westbound on Highway 204 in a turn-only lane when a Mazda pickup was turning eastbound onto Highway 204, the Patrol reported. The cause is under investigation.

The vehicles collided in the westbound lanes, the Patrol reported, and the victims died at the scene. Both were wearing helmets.

Tunney was in the automobile business and was well-known in the industry, friends and neighbors said. He and a partner operated a small sales lot in Marysville and also bought and sold cars among other dealers in the area.

"All of us knew him," said Amanda Elliott, a title clerk at Blade Chevrolet in Mount Vernon. Elliott said she often worked with Tunney in handling car-title matters.

"He was quite the guy," she said. "He always had a smile on his face. He was never in a bad mood. He was absolutely incredible."

At the crash site yesterday, two men threw their arms around each other and started sobbing. Both had worked with Tunney and had come to try to understand how the accident occurred.

"Mike and I worked every day together for the last three, four years," said Tim Machak, Tunney's partner in the auto business.

Machak said Tunney and Appel-Rianda, a single mother of four children, had met through the auto business.

Machak said Tunney had had other motorcycles over the years but bought the newest Harley only about six months ago.

"He loved his motorcycle," Machak said. "Before he went to bed at night, he used to walk out in the garage just to look at it."

Peyton Whitely: 206-464-2259 or pwhitely@seattletimes.com