Cyclist attacked by a gang of muggers was heroically saved by a stranger—he turned out to be a Hollywood icon
A person in trouble might hope for a hero to swoop in and save them, just like in the movies. However, for one cyclist, that fantasy turned into reality when he was attacked by a gang of muggers. The cyclist was a delivery person with Deliveroo and was going about his work in London's Baker Street. But at that time, a gang of muggers attacked him and tried to steal his bike. Nonetheless, the man hadn't expected Benedict Cumberbatch, known for his portrayal of Doctor Strange in the "Avengers" movies, to show up to save the day, reported The Sun.
The cyclist was being attacked brutally when Cumberbatch noticed him from his Uber. The star was traveling with his wife, Sophie Hunter, when he decided to intervene and help the cyclist. "I was taking Benedict and his wife to a club, but I didn’t know it was him at first," the Uber driver, Manuel Dias, recounted. "I went to turn down into Marylebone High Street and we saw four guys pushing around a Deliveroo cyclist. My passenger jumped out, ran over and pulled the men away," he added. Dias revealed that after a while, the muggers turned towards the actor, and when the situation worsened, he also stepped in to help the actor and the cyclist.
"He stood there instructing them in the street, shouting, 'Leave him alone.' It was only then that I recognized Benedict. Then it all got a bit surreal. Here was Sherlock Holmes fighting off four attackers just around the corner from Baker Street," Dias said, referencing Cumberbatch's iconic portrayal of the fictional detective. The gang was punching the cyclist mercilessly and he had no way to defend himself. They had also smashed a bottle on his head, leaving him badly injured, per the outlet. Cumberbatch initially screamed for the gang to leave the man alone before he started running towards them to help the delivery guy. The gang ran away from the scene after the intervention and left the cyclist alone.
The Uber driver had the nicest words to say about how bravely the 41-year-old star defended the cyclist. "I had hold of one lad and Benedict another. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing. He was very brave. He did most of it, to be honest. They tried to hit him, but he defended himself and pushed them away. He wasn't injured. Then I think they also recognised it was Benedict and ran away," Dias continued. "Benedict was courageous, brave and selfless. If he hadn't stepped in, the cyclist could have been seriously injured. He asked the rider how he was and when he said, 'I am OK.' Benedict just hugged him."
The incident happened back in 2018 and the attackers had run away before the cops could get to them. They were being charged with assault against the delivery person. The actor pointed out that he had to help a person who was in need at the moment. A spokesperson from Deliveroo expressed the company's gratitude towards the star for helping their team member. "Deliveroo riders are heroes delivering millions of meals to hungry customers right across the country. Their safety is our priority and any violence against riders is totally unacceptable. We'd like to thank Benedict Cumberbatch for his heroic actions. On behalf of everyone at Deliveroo: thank you so much."