Tri-City cancer doctor dies in Vancouver bicycle wreck

A radiation oncologist was killed in a bicycle wreck Thursday, just days after he began work at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center.

The Kennewick clinic said Dr. Michael Myers, 51, died near his home in Camas, east of Vancouver.

Sgt. Stefan Hausinger of the Camas Police Department said Myers was reported overdue and missing on Thursday evening at 4:30 p.m.

While officers were investigating, they were called about 8 p.m. about a man down.

Hausinger said it appeared Myers, an experienced cyclist, lost control of his bicycle on the steep downgrade and crashed into the side of a home. There was no evidence of a car being involved, and no one saw the accident.

Myers, who began at the cancer center on Monday, was reportedly wrapping up his Vancouver practice. He had previously worked at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center in 2011 and 2012.

Chuck DeGooyer, CEO of the cancer center, said Myers made a positive impression on staff, patients and physicians during his short return.

“Dr. Myers was an avid cyclist, a passionate doctor, and a truly caring family man,” he said in a statement.

He is survived by his wife, Yolanda, and two sons.

Myers previously worked at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center. He earned his medical degree from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science and took further internal medicine and radiation oncology training at Alameda County Medical Center and Virginia Commonwealth University.

His PeaceHealth biography said Myers treated patients with breast, prostate, lung and central nervous system malignancies and that he remained an associate professor at VCU in Richmond, Va.

This story was originally published November 9, 2018 at 4:30 PM.