Authorities reported Wednesday that Tiger Woods was driving nearly 90 mph when he lost control of an SUV on a steep stretch of road outside of Los Angeles, causing a crash that gravely injured the golf superstar.
Deputy Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Woods’ speed and subsequent lack of control were to blame for the collision that occurred on February 23. There will be no repercussions for the athlete’s third high-profile collision in 11 years.
The sheriff stated during a news conference that “the principal causal reason in this traffic incident was driving at a speed unsuitable for the road conditions and the inability to handle the bend of the roadway.”
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According to Villanueva, Woods was doing 84–87 mph (135–140 kph) in a 45–mph (72–kph) zone.
It’s a very dangerous section of road due to the number of accidents that occur there and the high speeds that drivers routinely take. Just before the spot where Woods crashed, there is an escape route for runaway trucks due to the steepness of the road.
The captain of the sheriff’s station closest to the crash site, James Powers, claimed that there was no evidence that Woods tried to brake and that detectives suspect Woods stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake pedal. All of the SUV’s airbags went off since he was properly fastened in his seat.
According to the sheriff’s office, Woods told deputies that he had not taken any drugs or drunk any alcohol before the incident.
Powers said that Such Concerns had been Addressed.
However, the detectives did not get search warrants to test his blood for drugs or alcohol or to look through his phone records. Authorities claimed they lacked probable cause to secure warrants because they had found no proof of impaired or distracted driving. Authorities did check the SUV’s “black box” data recorder, which indicated its speed.
There were no tickets issued for traffic violations. According to the sheriff, Woods authorised the release of information concerning the accident.
On Twitter, Woods expressed gratitude to those who phoned 911 and to the emergency personnel who assisted him after the crash and took him to the hospital.
I will continue to focus on my health and family and I want to thank everyone for the incredible support and encouragement I’ve gotten throughout this extremely difficult time,” Woods said in a statement posted following the news conference.
The reports indicate Woods told the deputies he did not recall driving and did not know how the crash happened. Woods had recently returned home from his fifth back surgery, which had taken place two months prior to the accident.
The Los Angeles native was hosting his PGA tournament, the Genesis Invitational, at Riviera Country Club when the accident occurred.
In Rolling Hills Estates, outside of Los Angeles, he was driving an SUV provided by the tournament when he hit a raised median. At 75 mph, the SUV swerved over two lanes of traffic and crashed into a tree, uprooting it (120 kph).
The athlete is in Florida for rehabilitation after undergoing many operations, including a lengthy treatment to repair several fractures to the tibia and fibula in his lower right leg. A rod was placed in his tibia to help stabilise them. His foot and ankle had to be fixed with screws and pins when he suffered more bone damage.
Since his first PGA Tour tournament as a 16-year-old high school student, Woods, now 45, has never gone a whole year without playing. It was his intention to compete in this year’s Masters competition, which starts on Thursday.
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It was pleasant to spend a few hours in conversation with him. “It was great to see him again,” McIlroy said on Tuesday from the Masters. It was nice to see that he was in a happy mood. The news of the accident and the description of the car’s condition leave you with the impression that he will be bedridden for the next six months. However, he was actually performing above and beyond expectations.
Weeks after the collision, the sheriff declared it “purely an accident” and said there was no sign of impairment. Villanueva responded Wednesday to charges of preferential treatment for the golfer and criticism she received for calling the crash an accident before the inquiry was complete.
Absolutely False, he said.
When asked about the crash’s cause last week, Villanueva indicated investigators had found the cause but would not disclose anything. To do so, he said, he needed Woods’s blessing. On Wednesday, the sheriff said Woods, whose yacht is named Privacy, had given permission for the investigation’s results to be made public.
Because of the athlete’s privacy concerns, Villanueva also did not release footage from deputies’ body cams.
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The Third Time a Car has been the Subject of an Investigation Involving Woods.
Most notably, on the morning after Thanksgiving in 2009, his SUV went over a fire hydrant and crashed into a tree. The bombshell news that he had been cheating on his wife with many women began with the car accident. For reckless driving, he received a $164 ticket.
As if that wasn’t enough, Woods also lost significant business endorsements, checked himself into a rehabilitation facility in Mississippi, and didn’t play golf again for five months.
He was discovered by Florida law enforcement officers dozing off at the wheel in May 2017. He claimed after his arrest that he had reacted badly to the back pain medication his doctor had prescribed. Woods admitted guilt on a careless driving charge and sought treatment for his sleep condition and medicines at a clinic.
