DEXTER — Driver inattention might have contributed to a head-on collision between a car and motorcycle on Saturday that killed a Ripley man, police said Sunday.

The 19-year-old man was riding a dirt bike southbound on Route 23 about a quarter-mile from the Ripley town line when he crossed the center line and struck a northbound Dodge Neon at about 10 p.m. He died instantly, Police Chief Kevin Wintle said.

The area’s lack of illumination might have also contributed to the accident, Wintle said.

“The bike had no headlight,” Wintle said.

The 19-year-old’s name was being withheld until his family could be notified. Wintle described the man as an avid motorcyclist and ATV rider. The man was wearing a helmet when the accident occurred, Wintle said.

The Neon’s driver, a 43-year-old Garland man, suffered bruises in the collision. Two women passengers suffered facial cuts. The three were treated at Mayo Regional Hospital and released, Wintle said.

A state police accident reconstruction team is assisting Dexter police with the investigation. Anyone with information about the accident or the participants’ activities in the hours leading up to it is asked to call Dexter police at 924-7623, Wintle said.