Tiger Woods was arrested and jailed on a charge of driving under the influence after being involved in a two-vehicle crash on Friday afternoon that resulted in his Land Rover rolling onto its side.
When officers reached the scene of the crash on Jupiter Island, Fla., where Woods has a home, the golfer showed “signs of impairment,” Martin County Sheriff John M. Budensiek said at a news conference. A breathalyzer test did not detect any alcohol in his system, but Woods refused a urinalysis. That led to his arrest and his being taken to Martin County Jail, where he had to remain for at least eight hours. Woods was later photographed in the passenger seat of a vehicle leaving the jail by a local TV station, WPBF.
He was charged with DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. Both charges are misdemeanors.
Budensiek said the crash occurred when Woods, driving a Land Rover, tried to overtake a truck that was hauling a pressure cleaner trailer while headed northbound on South Beach Road. The truck’s driver was attempting to turn left on a two-lane road, saw the Land Rover coming from behind and tried to move off the road, but had nowhere to go. The Land Rover clipped the truck and rolled onto its side.
Budensiek said that Woods climbed out through the passenger’s side of his vehicle, and that neither driver was injured.
“Mr. Woods did exemplify signs of impairment,” Budensiek said. “They did several tests on him. He did explain the injuries and surgeries he had; we did take that into account, but they did do some in-depth roadside tests, and when it was determined, he was taken under arrest and taken to the Martin County Jail.”
Asked if Woods would receive special treatment in jail, Budensiek said he would make sure Woods was safe.
“We’re the sheriff’s office,” he said. “We know we arrested a high-profile figure. I’m not trying to dramatize it. But it doesn’t matter who you are; if you break the law, we’re going to follow the law. It’s a really easy path to take. As far as being in the jail, we’re going to make sure he’s safe. We’re not going to put him in general population. He’s not going to be with other inmates that could hurt him or try to capitalize on what he did. He’ll pay the price, but he won’t pay the price by being punished in jail.”
Tiger Woods’ booking photo. (Courtesy of Martin County Sheriff’s Office)
President Donald Trump, who is friends with Woods, addressed the crash when asked about it by reporters Friday.
“I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty,” Trump said of Woods, who is dating Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. “There was an accident and that’s all I know. Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person, amazing man. But some difficulty.”
Friday’s accident came three days after Woods, 50, made his return to competitive golf, participating in the TGL Finals in nearby Palm Beach Gardens. Woods had surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon in April 2025, then lumbar disc replacement surgery in October. It was his seventh back surgery since 2014.
Woods has not announced a decision on his participation in the 2026 Masters, which begins April 8. Woods has a tournament-record streak of 24 consecutive cuts made, but the five-time Masters champion has not played there since 2024. He was scheduled to be at Augusta National either way, participating in the Champions Dinner as well as festivities around the re-opening of the Augusta Municipal Golf Course, commonly known as The Patch. Woods designed the short course there.
The incident was reminiscent of a single-car crash involving Woods in February 2021. In that incident, Woods was injured in a rollover crash about 20 miles south of Los Angeles. Aerial footage of the crash scene showed the vehicle made contact with a median and ended up in a ditch across the other side of the road. Officials from the sheriff’s department said the SUV most likely was traveling at a “relatively greater speed than normal” along a stretch of road with “a downhill slope” that’s known for a “high frequency of accidents.”
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the vehicle traveled several hundred feet after striking the divider and sustained “several rollovers.” Woods needed to be pried from the vehicle.
He suffered multiple fractures to the upper and lower fibula and tibia in his right leg, and required multiple surgeries to stabilize the leg, ankle and foot.