CHELAN – A motorcyclist is dead after colliding with a sports car head-on south of Chelan on Thursday.

Just before 5 p.m., Washington State Troopers say 59-year-old Wilhelm Penders of Winthrop was going north on US 97A when he tried to pass another vehicle using the southbound lane. Troopers say the unsafe passing attempt occurred just west of the US 97A and SR 971 junction.

Penders struck a Nissan 350Z car traveling in the southbound lane head-on, ejecting Penders and his passenger, 60-year-old Christine Dunn of Winthrop. Penders was declared dead after he was transported to Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee and Dunn was airlifted. The driver of the Nissan, 32-year-old Marcos Huerta of Chelan, was also injured and taken to Central Washington Hospital for treatment. State Troopers say unsafe passing was a factor in the crash, but its unknown if DUI contributed to the cause of the collision.