This month’s road-rage incident with a Melbourne cyclist has led to Shane Warne, the spin king, being sued.
The cyclist involved in the dispute has been identified as 28-year-old Mathew Hollingsworth, a web designer.
Mr. Hollingsworth is initiating a civil claim in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court with the help of prominent lawyer George Defteros.
The cost to repair Mr. Hollingsworth’s high-tech bicycle amounts to $1575.
In addition, he is seeking damages, interest, and legal costs.
Mr. Hollingsworth claims that after a heated verbal exchange during peak traffic on January 17, Warne drove into him.
In a statutory declaration, Mr. Hollingsworth states that the cricket legend “lurched his car forward, striking me on the right side of my right leg and my rear wheel” during the incident near Toorak Rd.
“We could hear bystanders shouting, ‘Get his rego,’ and some called out something resembling a registration number,” he recounts.
“Once I was on the footpath, a young brunette woman dressed in business attire approached me, offering help and asking, ‘Are you OK? Will you follow this up? I have the rego,’ as she held up her phone. I replied, ‘No, it should be fine. It was Shane Warne.’ She appeared just as surprised as I was.”
Warne denies any misbehavior, asserting that Mr. Hollingsworth slapped his car’s bonnet, stopped directly in front of him, and wouldn’t move.
“He was fortunate that I remained courteous and careful after he hit my car twice,” Warne remarked.
“I hold no animosity towards cyclists… bike riders, please follow road laws and stop provoking car drivers.”
Warne advocates for cyclists to have mandatory registration plates to ensure accountability for any road rule violations.
Mr. Defteros stated last night: “Cyclists’ rights must always be respected. The Government is encouraging more bike riders on the roads, and thus their rights need to be protected.”
by John Jackson
