One Dead, Two Injured In Crash Near Entiat

An Okanogan County man is dead following a two-vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 97A yesterday afternoon.

The Washington State Patrol says it happened just before 5 p.m. near Entiat when 59-year-old Wilhelm Penders of Winthrop made an unsafe pass on his motorcycle and struck an oncoming vehicle head on.

Penders was ejected and pronounced deceased at the scene, while his passenger - 60-year-old Christine Dunn of Winthrop - was also ejected and airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious injuries.

The driver of the vehicle that collided with Penders' bike - 32-year-old Marcos Huerta of Chelan - suffered minor injuries and was transported to Central Washington Hospital.

The accident snarled traffic on the highway for several hours while crews cleared the wreckage and investigators worked the scene.

It is not yet known in impairment played a role in the collision.