A motorcyclist was critically injured Sunday night after striking a deer and veering into an SUV that was traveling in the opposite direction on Nine Mile Falls Road, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Samuel J. Kintschi, 26, was in critical condition Monday morning at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said. His passenger at the time of the crash, Nicole J. Mitchell, 23, was treated at the hospital and released.

Kintschi, of Edwall, and Mitchell, of Spokane, hit the deer at about 9 p.m. while traveling in the southbound lane near Sun Dance Golf Course in Nine Mile Falls, the WSP said in an incident report. The motorcycle then collided with the oncoming SUV. Both riders were wearing helmets.

The two occupants of the SUV were not injured, the WSP said.