admin US golfer Tiger Woods was arrested and charged with driving under the influence late on Friday after a rollover crash near his Florida home, authorities said, as the 15-time major champion’s golf career veered into fresh turmoil.
Woods, 50, escaped injury but was detained after his vehicle clipped a truck while attempting to overtake on a residential road on Jupiter Island, flipping onto its side before sliding to a stop.
But he was released from jail after posting bail following his arrest on suspicion of DUI in relation to a rollover crash in Jupiter Island, Florida.
Tiger Woods is driven from the Martin County Jail after being arrested for driving under the influence after a car crash in Stuart, Florida. AFP
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Woods showed signs of impairment at the crash scene. He tested negative for alcohol impairment on a breathalyzer check but refused a urinalysis test and was arrested on suspicion of DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
The crash occurred in the city where Woods lives around 2pm ET.
Woods was booked at the county jail in Stuart, Fla., around 3 p.m. ET. He was released on bail eight hours later, the minimum allowed under state law, according to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek.
In a press conference, Budensiek said that Woods’ Land Rover unsuccessfully attempted to pass a truck with a pressure cleaner on its trailer. Woods’ car hit the trailer, landed on its side and continued down the road, per the sheriff.
Tiger Woods’ Land Rover rolled over on a two-lane road near his Jupiter Island home. Reuters
Woods and the driver of the truck were uninjured, the sheriff reported. “This could have been a lot worse,” Budensiek said.
Officers responding to the scene found Woods to be impaired, according to Budensiek, who added that alcohol wasn’t believed to be involved.
“They believe it was some type of medication or drug,” Budensiek said of the investigators. “… They did several tests on him. Of course, he did explain the injuries and the surgeries that he had. We did take that into account, but they did do some in-depth roadside tests.”
Budensiek added, “He is cooperative, but he was not trying to incriminate himself, so he was careful in what he said and didn’t say.”
Woods, 50, was involved in a one-car crash in Southern California in February of 2021 that caused multiple leg fractures. No charges were filed. The accident impacted Woods’ golf career and he has appeared in minimal PGA Tour events since.
In May of 2017 Woods also was arrested on a DUI charge in Jupiter Island and eventually pleaded guilty to reckless driving. He was given one year of probation, along with a $250 fine and 50 hours of community service.
Woods is not expected to participate in next month’s Masters Tournament but reportedly had registered to participate in the US Senior Open.
A 15-time major winner on the PGA Tour, Woods had recently hinted at participating on the Champions Tour now that he is 50.
“I’m trying. Put it that way,” Woods said at last month’s Genesis Invitational near Los Angeles, when asked about playing again. “The disc replacement has been one thing. … I’ve had a fused back and now a disc replacement, so it’s challenging.
“And now, I entered a new decade, so that number is starting to sink in and has us thinking about the opportunity to be able to play in a cart. That’s something that, as I said, I won’t do out here on (in PGA Tour events) because I don’t believe in it. But on the Champions Tour, that’s certainly (an) opportunity.”
Reuters
