Tiger Woods, after an SUV crash near his Florida home, was arrested Friday afternoon and charged with DUI, damage to property and refusing to submit to a lawful test.
Neither Woods nor the driver of the truck that hit the SUV was injured in the crash, Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said at a news conference. Woods was being held in the Martin County Jail and would remain there until 11 p.m. ET Friday if he posted the bond.
Here’s everything we know about Woods’ accident, based on information from the sheriff’s department and additional reports.
How did the Tiger Woods crash happen?
According to Budensiek, here are the details:
At 2 p.m., the Jupiter Island Police Department was called to a report of a crash along the 280 block of South Beach Road in Hobe Sound, Fla., a few miles from Woods’ Jupiter Island home. There, a pressure washer truck pulling a small trailer had pulled into a driveway when the driver saw the SUV driven by Woods trying to pass the truck at “high speeds.”
“He saw it coming,” Budensiek said, “so he tried to pull over, but this is a small two-lane road and there was no shoulder for this gentleman to pull over.
“As he attempted to move to the side of the road, the Land Rover overtook him at the last minute, swerved to avoid a collision, but clipped the rear of the side-lined pressure washer trailer and then rolled into the driver’s door, north of the lorry that had just avoided the collision.”
Budensiek said he did not know how fast Woods was driving. “But I can tell you this: It’s a 30 mph speed limit. And when I show you the pictures, they speak for themselves. You can see where it clipped the back of the trailer. You can see where it spun. And then as it slows down, sliding down into the driver’s door of the vehicle, you can see that it slid a good distance before it stopped for one.”
Photos of the scene can be found below:
What happened after Tiger Woods crashed?
Woods, Budensiek said, crawled out of the passenger door and Jupiter Island police officers arrived at the scene of the accident, where it appeared that Woods “may have been impaired.” The sheriff’s office was called. Budensiek said Woods “exemplifies signs of impairment” and DUI investigators conducted tests.
“Of course, he explained the injuries and the surgeries he had; we took that into consideration,” Budensiek said. “But they did some thorough testing on the side of the road, and when it was determined, he was arrested and taken to the Martin County Jail.”
Budensiek said experts who evaluated Woods at the scene did not believe he was impaired by alcohol but “believed it was some type of medication or drug.” No drugs or medication, Budensiek said, were found in Woods’ SUV.
What happened at the Martin County Jail?
Woods, Budensiek said, took a breathalyzer test and showed no trace of alcohol, but he refused a urine test. No further testing will be conducted, Budensiek said.
“We will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired at the time of the crash,” Budensiek said.
What are the charges against Woods?
By refusing a urine test, Woods was charged with DUI, criminal damage to property and refusal to submit to a lawful test, all misdemeanors. Budensiek said Woods was “cooperative.”
“But he wasn’t trying to incriminate himself,” Budensiek said, “so he was careful about what he said and didn’t say, and when it came time again for the test, the urine test at the jail, he stopped it.”
When would Woods be released?
Woods would remain in jail until 11 p.m. ET Friday if he is released. Budensiek said Woods would be kept safe at the jail.
“Let me go back to the simplicity of this with a sheriff’s office: We know we’ve arrested a high-profile figure,” Budensiek said. “I’m not trying to be dramatic, but it doesn’t matter who you are, or if you break the law – we’re going to follow the law. That’s a really easy road to follow.
“Now, as far as being in prison, we’re going to make sure he’s safe. We’re not going to put him in the general population. He’s not going to be with other inmates who might hurt him or try to take advantage of what he did. He’s going to pay the price, but he’s not going to pay the price by being punished in prison.”
Was anyone injured?
Budensiek said the other driver was OK. Woods, the sheriff said, “was lethargic at the scene, but we believe it was because he was intoxicated.”
Has Woods been involved in other collisions?
He has been involved in three others.
– In 2021,Woods was involved in a one-car accident outside of Los Angeles, suffered multiple injuries and was hospitalized for three weeks after surgery. In a statement at the time, a doctor said Woods “suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery.” Injuries included “open comminuted fractures” to the tibia and fibula, requiring a rod to be inserted into the leg.
– In May 2017police found Woods asleep at the wheel of a vehicle parked in the middle of a street in Jupiter. He would later plead guilty to reckless driving.
-In November 2009, Woods crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and trees outside his home and was cited for careless driving.
On Tuesday, Woods played with his team in TGL, an indoor simulator-based league. It was his first TV appearance since undergoing a back procedure last October.
What are others saying?
Golf Channel analyst Mark Rolfing had this to say after the press conference:
“It’s a sad day, really. I think it’s a very sad day. And there’s a lot of implications that we won’t know a lot about for a while, obviously. I just don’t know what to think. I look at the timeline of other accidents, and then I think about what happened this afternoon and it makes me nervous. I just have this really nervous feeling.”
What did he mean by nervous?
“Tiger means a lot to the game. He’s the most important and influential person in the game. And he has been for a big part of my life. And especially lately, he’s done so many things that seem right. We’ve known he’s had some struggles for a few years and I can relate to that. But I will tell you that it kind of bothered me and bothered me.”
President Trump too said thisbefore a press conference: “I feel very bad. He has some difficulties. There was an accident and that’s all I know. My very close friend. He’s a wonderful person, a wonderful man. But some difficulties.”
