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  • KAIT-TV

Reporting in Massachusetts on the cycling accident in Arkansas in which seven riders were injured, one criticallly, when a driver ran into the back of a group riding cross country. Five remain hospitalized. The most critically injured is in a Memphis hospital.

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[Overland summer camp’s Jonathan] Igoe refused to name those injured or to say where they came from, other than to say campers come from all over the United States to participate in Overland’s programs.

He said each Overland bike tour is led by two experienced leaders, one in front of the line and the other last in line. A 21-year-old woman at the rear of the line of bikes was among the injured, he said.

“It’s a two-lane road, Route 17 out of McCrory, Ark. It’s very flat and fairly wide open, and from pictures I’ve seen there are sight lines on both sides of the road with very light traffic,” Igoe said. “It was a perfectly clear day, plenty of sunlight and clear sight lines, it’s very hard to see on a flat stretch of straight road how this could have happened, but we’re waiting for the investigation to get back.”

State Police have said the cyclists were struck about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday by a vehicle driven by Teagan Martin, 21, of Newport. Authorities say the investigation will continue into next week and be turned over to a local prosecutor for consideration of charges.

The six riders who weren’t injured are in Arkansas. They haven’t decided whether to continue the trip to California.

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KAIT posts here a video that includes an interview with director of the Massachusetts summer camp, which has led bicycle trips for almost three decades.

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