Overland Bikers Injured in Arkansas Crash

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A group of bicyclists participating in an Overland cross-country trip were struck by a car in Arkansas on Tuesday afternoon.

Arkansas State Police say seven people were injured on State Highway 17, two miles north of McCroy, when a northbound car struck the cyclists in the back of a group of 13 at about 4:35 p.m.

Overland's founders Tom and Liz Costley of Williamstown are in Arkansas with the families, according to updates on the Overland website. Two staff members are also there.

Three people were airlifted from the highway to hospitals in Memphis, Tenn., and Little Rock. Four others were taken to local hospitals by ambulance, according to state police. The driver of the car was not injured.

Overland, which offers a range of summer camps and outdoor adventures for teens and youngsters, is headquartered on Spring Street. The cyclists were participating in a cross-county trip, the 3,000-mile American Challenge, that began two weeks ago in South Carolina and was set to finish at the Santa Monica Pier in California at the beginning of August.

In a statement from Overland posted late Wednesday morning, five of those injured were still in the hospital, one in critical condition. Two others were released. Overland's clientele comes from around the country; it was not clear if any of those injured were local residents.

Overland said it would continue to update its site as more information became available:

"We continue to express our deepest concern for those injured and for their families, and reiterate our gratitude to responding emergency personnel, including responding law enforcement personnel. We appreciate the support we have received from professionals, families and friends in the area, as well as the support from the community of Overland families and leaders."