ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, Calif. – A man found Tiger Woods unconscious in a battered SUV after the golf star crashed his vehicle in Southern California, authorities said in documents obtained Friday.
The man, who lives near the Rolling Hills Estates location, heard the crash and headed for the SUV, wrote Johann Schloegl, the Los Angeles deputy sheriff, in a statement on his own responsibility.
The man told deputies that Woods would not answer his questions.
The first deputy on stage, Carlos Gonzalez, said Woods was able to talk to him and answer basic questions. Woods later told deputies that he did not know how the collision took place and that he did not remember driving.
Law enforcement did not previously reveal that Woods had been unconscious after the accident.
The information came in a probable cause statement requesting the approval of a search warrant for the data recorder of the Genesis SUV, known as the black box. Schloegl requested data from 22 and 23 February. The accident occurred around 7 am on February 23.
“I think the data will explain how / why the collision occurred,” Schloegl wrote.
The sheriff’s representatives refused to say what was discovered in the tape recorder.
The 2021 GV80 driven by Woods veered off a road in Los Angeles County and crashed into a downhill section known for the wreck. The accident injured Woods’ right leg, requiring surgery.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Woods was driving alone in good weather, there was no evidence of damage and the fall was “purely an accident.”
Schloegl previously told USA Today that he had not requested a search warrant for Woods’ blood samples, which could be subject to drug and alcohol testing. In 2017, Woods was screened at a clinic for help treating prescription drugs after a DUI fee in Florida.
The long-term surgery that followed the collapse was to stabilize the broken tibia and fibula bones in the right leg. A combination of screws and pins was used for ankle and foot injuries.
It was the 10th operation of his career and came two months after the fifth operation on his back. However, Woods never went a full year without playing, dating back to his first 16-year-old high school PGA Tour event.