Authorities now say that Tiger Woods was driving 40 mph above the speed limit when he crashed his car in February, leaving him seriously injured.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Wednesday that the golfer was driving between 84 to 87 mph going downhill on a road in Rancho Palos Verdes, just outside of Los Angeles, when he struck a median and lost control of the car. The speed limit is 45 mph.
The car crossed two lanes and uprooted a tree before coming to a stop. Villanueva said Woods was going about 75 mph when the car struck the tree.
That stretch of road is known for speeding and car wrecks.
The data came from the car's event data recorder, also known as a black box, which also shows that Woods hit the gas several times throughout the crash. Police believe he accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake.
Villanueva said Woods’ speed and his loss of control of the SUV was the sole cause of the crash.
"The primary causal factor for the collision was driving at an unsafe speed for the road conditions and being unable to negotiate the curve," said Villanueva. "There was no signs of impairment and without signs of impairment we cannot execute a search warrant."
Another investigator said there were no drugs or alcohol in the car or on Woods' person at the time.
There were no other cars involved in the crash and no witnesses.
Woods was not cited for speeding and there will be no criminal charges. Villanueva denied that the golf superstar was getting special treatment, and said state law generally requires there be a witness in order to file charges in a solo crash.
Woods is now recovering from multiple injuries at home, including a shattered tibia and fibula bones in multiple locations in his right leg and injuries to his ankle and foot bones.
He will have to sit out the Masters tournament, which begins on Thursday.
The tournament holds a special spot in his career. He scored his first major championship win at the Masters in 1997 when he won by 12 strokes. He was also the youngest player and the first non-white player to ever win the Masters.
He then pulled off a stunning win at the tournament back in 2019, which solidified his comeback to golf fans after years of back surgeries and disappointing losses.
Related
