Two motorcycle riders were hospitalized after striking a cow Monday night on Riverside Drive in Vassalboro.

Both the male operator and female passenger of a motorcycle were taken by ambulance to MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta. The woman had what appeared to be pretty significant injuries, Vassalboro fire Chief Walker Thompson said.

Thompson said the operator of the motorcycle said they were riding when they came upon four cows in the roadway. They were unable to avoid one of the cows, hitting it in the middle of the road.

Thompson said a Vassalboro firefighter came upon the crash, saw a motorcycle and two people lying in the roadway around 7 p.m., and immediately called it in to a dispatcher.

Rescuers requested a LifeFlight of Maine helicopter for the female passenger, but that service was unavailable at the time. Both riders were taken by Delta Ambulance to MaineGeneral in Augusta.

Thompson said no cows remained at the scene when the crash was discovered.

Riverside Drive, also U.S. Route 201, was shut down for about two hours, between Taylor and Oak Grove roads. Maine State Police officials are reconstructing the accident.

“We didn’t see any cows, we’re just going by what the operator said,” Thompson said. “It’s a very unfortunate accident.”

Thompson said the crash was at 2486 Riverside Drive, just north of the intersection with Oak Grove Road.

The identities of the motorcycle riders were not immediately available from Maine State Police on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a Clinton man was injured when his motorcycle drifted off Route 27 in Rome, where new pavement had left a high edge on the roadside.

Brent O. Perry, 52, was taken to MaineGeneral hospital in Augusta. A hospital spokesperson said Tuesday that Perry was treated and released.

Chris Read, chief deputy with the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, said around 8:18 p.m. Monday that Perry was riding a 1973 Harley-Davidson northbound on Route 27, approaching the intersection with Rome Road, when he drifted off the road. When Perry tried to come back onto the road, the motorcycle went into a slide, ejecting him.

Route 27, which is also known as Augusta Road, was closed down for about a half hour while the accident scene was cleared, police dispatch records indicate.

Deputy Chad Webster investigated the crash, Read said.