A driver caught on camera launching a vicious tirade against a cyclist he mowed down has insisted that he’s ‘not a violent person.’
The shocking clip caught the moment the driver of a Toyota HiLux lashed out at the 23-year-old cyclist during a road rage incident in Sydney’s Inner West on Wednesday morning.
An NSW Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that the driver allegedly punched the cyclist during the incident.
But in an interview on the Today show on Thursday, the 45-year-old man insisted that he was provoked and it wasn’t his fault that the cyclist was knocked to the ground.
The driver (pictured) appeared on the Today show on Thursday to defend his actions
‘He was sticking his finger up, carrying on, I didn’t hit him,’ he told the morning program.
‘Then he got in front of me and started driving slowly, sticking his finger up and then he took off, braked, and I was rolling in traffic and I hit his back tyre.’
He added: ‘I mean, it’s not right, like I said, I don’t provoke it. I’m not a violent person.’
However, the clip of the incident showed him unleashing a foul-mouthed tirade against the cyclist and threatening him repeatedly after the incident on Grosvenor Street in Summer Hill.
‘I’m Lebanese mate, I’m going to f*** you,’ the driver, wearing a blue shirt and sunglasses, is heard shouting at the cyclist.
The clip shows the moment the driver of a Toyota Hilux launched into a vicious rant at a cyclist
The driver is heard saying: ‘I’m Lebanese mate, I’m going to f*** you,’ before appearing to hit the cyclist
‘I’m going to f*** your life, you son of a b****. I’m going to follow you, I am going to f*** your life,’ he adds, before he appears to hit the cyclist.
The clip ends with a shot of the cyclist’s crumpled bike on the ground and the driver returning to his 4WD.
An NSW Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that officers attended the scene shortly after the altercation between the two men occurred at around 7.50am.
‘We have been told the driver of the Toyota punched the cyclist,’ the spokesman said.
‘Police were called to the scene and spoke to both parties and investigations are continuing.’
‘I’m going to follow you. I am going to f*** your life,’ the driver adds while the cyclist appears to remain on the ground
The clip ends with a shot of the cyclist’s crumpled bike while the driver returns to his vehicle