A motorcyclist was fatally injured in a traffic collision in Mountain Center Saturday afternoon.

Graydon Tucker, 77, of Beaumont, was injured at 2:15 p.m. and transferred by Reach Air to the Desert Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m.

CHP Public Information Officer Darren Meyer said Tucker was traveling southbound on Highway 243 about 1 mile north of Highway 74 on a 2006 Kawasaki Ninja when he entered a right-hand curve in the road, failed to maintain control and allowed the motorcycle to cross over the double-yellow lines directly into the path of a car. He was ejected from the motorcycle.

Karina Villapando, 18, of Garden Grove, was the driver of the 1995 Lexus sedan with which the Kawasaki collided. She and two passengers, Emily Villapando, 14, and Veronica Villapando, 42, also of Garden Grove, were transported to Hemet Valley Medical Center with minor injuries. Another passenger, Hector Villapando, 49, of Garden Grove, was not injured.

The Villapandos all were wearing seat belts. Tucker was wearing a helmet. Meyer said speed and weather were not factors in the incident. Alcohol and drugs also were not suspected.

In another collision Sunday, Kenny Escobedo, 21, of Cathedral City was fatally injured at about 8:05 a.m. and died about 20 minutes later when he was traveling on his motorcycle southbound on Highway 74, two-tenths of a mile north of mile marker 89.5 near Palm Desert.