Sherlock star faces legal fight over cycle collision
The Sherlock star, 42, is said to have hit Michael Lawrence, 63, while driving down a narrow country lane on the Isle of Wight.
Retired fisherman Mr Lawrence was bloodied in the crash and reacted by slapping the actor in the face before realising who it was, a friend of his revealed.
Yesterday Mr Lawrence, who is affectionately known as Scooby, told the Daily Mail that he could not speak about the crash, which happened last September, for ‘legal’ reasons. He said the case is in the hands of his solicitors.
Mr Lawrence’s friend said that the cyclist claimed Mr Cumberbatch drove a green Lamborghini, although the actor’s agent queried the make of car while not denying his involvement in the incident.
The friend said: ‘Scooby was on his new bike when the car appeared out of nowhere.
‘There was nowhere else in the road to go. He just put his arm over him and took the full force of impact on his forearm, which smashed the wing mirror. It totally ruptured his arm. There was blood everywhere. He hurt him, by the sounds of it.’
It is claimed Mr Cumberbatch got out of the car and shouted: ‘You were in the middle of the road!’ The friend said that Mr Lawrence then slapped the star, adding that it was like ‘a slowmotion moment in a film’ when the actor took off his baseball cap to reveal his identity.
‘Scooby said he nearly had a heart attack,’ the friend told The Sun, adding that Mr Cumberbatch was ‘lucky’ he was not punched, as the former fisherman is ‘no shrinking violet’.
Eventually, the pair calmed down and the actor offered Mr Lawrence water, a T- shirt to clean his wounds and a lift to hospital.
Although the two men got off on the wrong foot, Mr Lawrence ‘thought Cumberbatch was all right – a bit posh, but all right’, according to his friend.
The Harrow- educated actor, who married actress Sophie Hunter on the island in 2015, reported the crash to the police but said he did not want to press charges over the slap.
Numbers were exchanged, although Mr Lawrence is said to be ‘miffed’ the star — whose character crashes a Lamborghini Huracan in the 2016 film Doctor Strange — has not been in touch.
Mr Lawrence is now reported to be thinking about seeking compensation.
Mr Cumberbatch’s agent said the star had ‘nothing to add at this point’, but ‘whilst his character Dr Strange might have driven a Lamborghini in the film, Benedict has never owned or driven one.’
Hampshire Police confirmed a collision was reported but said no complaint was made and no investigation has been opened. However, they confirmed an insurance claim was ongoing. BENEDICT Cumberbatch could face a hefty compensation bill after allegedly knocking a cyclist off his bike.