A motorcyclist traveling westbound in the 19600 block of Northeast Union Hill Road outside of Redmond died Thursday morning after being hit by an SUV traveling in the opposite direction.

Sgt. Katie Larson with the King County Sheriff’s Office said the crash occurred shortly after 9 a.m. and detectives are still investigating the crash.

She said it appears that the motorcyclist lost control of his bike, was ejected and crossed the center line. He was then hit by an SUV traveling in the opposite direction that couldn’t avoid him in time. The driver of the SUV was not injured.

“We do no think that alcohol played a part in this,” Larson said, adding that investigators have no way of knowing if the motorcycle was having mechanical issues.

She added that stretch of Northeast Union Hill Road is a very steep and curvy hill and the crash is a “very tragic accident.”

Northeast Union Hill Road was closed most of Thursday morning while investigators evaluated the scene, but the road was cleared by early afternoon.