Police: 4 bicyclists injured by vehicle's dislodged liftgate in Port Richey

PORT RICHEY, Fla. (FOX 13) - The Port Richey police chief says four bicyclists injured when they were hit by a vehicle's liftgate Monday evening. 

It happened in the eastbound lanes of Ridge Road, near Leo Kidd, in Port Richey, Florida. Police Chief Gerard DeCanio said this was the "craziest thing [he's] ever seen."

DeCanio said the side wheelchair liftgate of a mobile PET scan vehicle somehow became dislodged. As the vehicle passed a line of bicyclists headed east on Ridge Road, the liftgate hit them, one-by-one.  

DeCanio said four bicyclists were hit. Two of them had serious injuries and were in surgery at a nearby hospital.

Port Richey police officers said they were speaking to the driver. It was unclear whether the driver knew he hit the bicyclists.

Two eastbound lanes of Ridge Road at Leo Kidd were closed. Port Richey police are investigating the crash.