By Mark LaFlamme,Staff Writer

AUBURN – An Auburn woman was airlifted to a Portland hospital Monday morning after a three-car crash on Route 4 that also left another woman seriously injured.

Beth Shepard, 47, of Auburn was listed in critical condition Monday night at Maine Medical Center, according to a nursing supervisor there.

Laura Wyman, 24, of North Yarmouth, the driver of a second car, was listed in critical condition at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

Witnesses said the women were driving in opposite directions on Route 4 at about 7:15 a.m. when they collided near the Turner Road.

The driver of a third vehicle, 52-year-old Nicola Salvati, of Livermore was not seriously hurt in the collision. It was not clear Monday night how that vehicle was involved. Auburn police said they were unable to access the accident report for further details Monday night.

Police quickly blocked off that section of Route 4 as the victims were extricated from their vehicles and taken to hospitals. Shepard was flown first to CMMC and later to the Portland hospital, police said.

Maine State Police spent hours on Route 4 Monday reconstructing the crash scene. Traffic was rerouted around the area with motorists being diverted onto Turner Road.

It was unknown what may have caused the vehicles to collide on a straight stretch of Route 4. Traffic was heavy at the time and the roads were wet from a steady drizzle, witnesses said.