(WWJ/AP) Authorities say Tiger Woods showed signs of impairment at the scene of a Florida car crash in which he struck another vehicle and rolled his Land Rover.
Woods was arrested on suspicion of DUI after the crash, Friday afternoon.
At a press briefing, however, Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek told reporters Woods was in fact not drunk, but appeared to be impaired, and is facing charges.
In an update to reporters, Budensiek offered some details:
"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. Our DUI investigators came to the scene here and Mr. Woods did exemplify signs of impairment. 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.
"So, Mr. Woods did a breathalyzer test, blew triple zeros, but when it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused, and so he's been charged with DUI, with property damage, and refusal to submit to a lawful test."
The sheriff said no one was injured in the crash, just after 2 p.m., not far from where Woods lives on Jupiter Island.
It was the third time Woods has been involved in a car crash. most recently in February 2021 when his SUV ran off a coastal road in Los Angeles at a high rate of speed that led to multiple leg and ankle injuries. Woods said later doctors considered amputation.
Woods had been working his way back to golf from a seventh back surgery last September. He had not decided whether he could play in the Masters on April 9-12.
