Golfing legend Tiger Woods has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Saturday morning AEDT.
Woods exhibited “signs of impairment” following a rollover car crash in Jupiter Island, Florida, Friday at 2pm, US Eastern time.
The 50-year-old was also charged with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
Woods and the other driver involved are not believed to have been injured in the incident.
The Sheriff’s Office believes Woods was impaired by “some type of medication or drug”, with alcohol not involved.
He will remain incarcerated for at least eight hours, as per a Florida state statute.
The crash involving the 15-time major champion occurred just after 2pm ET (early Saturday morning, AEDT) in the town where Woods lives.
A photograph released by South Florida television network WPTV shows Woods’ SUV turned on the driver’s side.
Tiger Woods was involved in a rollover car crash. Courtesy: WPTVSource: FOX SPORTSTiger Woods stands next to his vehicle. Credit: AP.Source: FOX SPORTS
Details regarding the cause of the crash were revealed when Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek held a press conference at 5pm ET.
“The Jupiter Island Police Department responded and found a pickup truck pulling a pressure-cleaner trailer, and a Land Rover, which was rolled over on the driver’s door,” Budensiek began.
“The investigation started, and initially, right off the top, it did appear that the driver of the Land Rover might be impaired.
“Our investigation revealed as follows: shortly before 2pm, the pressure-cleaner truck was northbound on South Beach Rd, and was pulling to turn into a driveway; it was slowing down.
“And the driver of that vehicle looked in his mirror and saw a dark-coloured Land Rover overtaking him at high speeds, and I don’t know those speeds.
“The Land Rover kept overtaking him, he saw him coming, so he tried to edge off to the side of the road, but this was a small two-land road, and there was no shoulder for this pressure-cleaner gentleman to get off to the side of the road.
“As he was trying 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 back end of the trailer of the pressure-cleaner apparatus, listed to the side and then rolled on the driver’s door … past the truck that had just avoided the crash.
“The individual driving that Land Rover was able to crawl out the passenger door of the car, and was identified to be Mr. Tiger Woods.”
When it came time for a urine analysis test, Woods refused, prompting the additional charge.
“Our DUI investigators came to the scene here, and Mr. Woods did exemplify signs of impairment,” Budensiek said.
“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, and when it was determined, he was placed under arrest and taken to the Martin County jail.
“At the Martin County jail, and even on scene, we really weren’t suspicious of alcohol being involved in this case, and that proved to be true at the jail.
“Mr. Woods did a breathalyser test with triple zeros, but when it came time for us to ask for a urine analysis test, he refused, so he’s been charged with DUI, with property damage, and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
“In the crash, no one was injured. Mr. Woods did not seem to be injured at all, and the other gentleman was not injured.”
After having spent the past several months recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, the 50-year-old competed for the first time in over a year at the TGL.
The revelation comes five years after Woods was seriously injured in a car crash in California in 2021.
In that instance, Woods sustained significant leg injuries when he was left trapped in his SUV after it rolled several times.