Tiger Woods was traveling at speeds of up to 87 mph – or more than 45 mph faster than the legal speed limit – before his SUV crashed in late February in southern California, seriously injuring the Gulf legend, police said Wednesday.
Woods’ vehicle, a 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV, was traveling at about 75 mph when it crashed into a tree and began rolling, according to police, who cited a data logger in that luxury vehicle.
The recorder showed that the vehicle at certain points was going between 68 mph and 86.99 mph before it failed to negotiate a curve on the road just outside Los Angeles.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva – who strongly denied that Woods was given favorable treatment by police in their investigation – said the Feb. 23 accident was the result of 45-year-old driving in what the sheriff called an unsafe manner for road conditions.
During a press conference, Villanueva also said that there is no evidence that Woods was affected or intoxicated at the time of the February 23 crash in Rolling Hills Estates.
Police did not verify whether Woods sent text messages before the crash, saying there was no need to do so.
Police also said they will not issue a subpoena for Woods, who is currently recovering at his Florida home. Releasing a ticket for reckless driving would require evidence that Woods committed several violations prior to the crash, such as unsafe lane changes or the unsafe passing of other cars, according to police.
Woods does not remember the collision, police told a news conference.
Villanueva said he could only release the cause of the accident because Woods agreed to do so. According to the law, the sheriff said, such accident reports are confidential unless the people involved in the incident agree to their public disclosure.
“The main causal factor for this traffic collision was driving at an unsafe speed due to road conditions and inability to negotiate the road curve, the estimated speed at the first impact area was 84 to 87 miles per hour,” Villanueva said. .
Woods did not brake before the car crashed, according to police, who said the data logger reveals that he may have accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brakes before the collision.
“I know there are some who say that, in a way, he received a special or preferential treatment, any one, of any kind, which is absolutely false,” Villanueva said.
“There were no signs of damage, our main concern once we saw the crash site was his, his safety.”
Villanueva said there was no probable cause, such as open containers for alcoholic beverages or signs of narcotics in the car, that would have allowed investigators to obtain a search warrant to test Woods’ blood for poisoning.
The golfer, who was alone in the SUV, was stuck in the wreckage, which occurred after hitting a central median on the road, then entered the brush and hit a tree just before 7:12 a.m. PT, on February 23.
After being pulled out of the vehicle, Woods was taken to a local hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery for what a doctor at the time called “significant orthopedic injuries” in his lower right leg.
Woods’ epic career, which featured 82 PGA titles and won 15 major championships, was turned upside down in November 2009 after he crashed another SUV into a hydrant one morning in front of his Florida residence.
Woods remained unconscious from the accident for more than five minutes. His then-wife, Elin Nordegren, allegedly used a golf club to break a window and take it out of the car.
The incident led to weeks of reports that Woods was involved in several extramarital affairs. He entered a clinic for treatment shortly thereafter.
In May 2017, Woods was accused of driving under the influence in Florida after police found him asleep in a damaged car.
In a later apology, Woods blamed an “unexpected reaction” to a mixture of drugs prescribed for his disappearance.
“I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved,” Woods said at the time.
One month after that arrest, Woods was admitted to a clinic for treatment related to prescription pain problems and sleep disorders.
Woods is said to use pain medication to help him get up and move while recovering from four back surgeries.