NORWAY — Two women were seriously injured in a motorcycle accident on Waterford Road late Thursday afternoon.

Police officer Mitch Shaw said Frances Rugg, 59, of Paris, the driver of the Honda GoldWing “trike” and her passenger, Donna Turner, 73, of Norway were both thrown from the motorcycle just after 4:30 p.m. when the driver lost control and went off the road near 747 Waterford Road, narrowly missing a telephone pole.

Shaw said both were wearing helmets and were semi-conscious when rescue workers arrived.  Witnesses at the scene say the motorcycle appeared to have traveled off the road some 30 feet, up a slight embankment and landed upright about two feet from the utility pole. The pair also landed near the pole. Witnesses say they believed the motorcycle rolled before landing upright on lawn. Clumps of grass were hanging under the broken windshield.

Both victims were transported to Stephens Memorial Hospital by PACE and Stoneham ambulances. No update on their condition was available late Thursday night.

The roadway was shut down for about 30 minutes. One lane of traffic was reopened shortly after 5 p.m. and the other opened just before 6 p.m.

The accident is being reconstructed but Shaw said no charges or tickets are expected to be issued. Neither alcohol nor drugs played a factor in the accident, he said.

ldixon@sunjournal.com