Tiger Woods car accident: Golfer suffered shattered ankle after crashing Genesis SUV, police say
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Your support makes all the difference.“It’s very fortunate for Mr Woods to come out of this alive.”
That’s the latest from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy Carlos Gonzalez, one of the first officers to arrive on the scene after golfer Tiger Woods wrecked his SUV outside of Los Angeles on Tuesday. He said the golfer was wearing his seatbelt, which might have saved his life, and appeared “calm and lucid.”
The PGA legend, who sustained “serious injuries to both legs” according to officials, was rushed to surgery at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center after his car hit a median and rolled end-over-end for about 100 feet until settling off the side of the road.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said during a press conference on Tuesday that there was “no evidence of impairment” at the scene of the incident.
“There was no evidence of impairment,” Mr Villanueva said during his remarks. “There was no effort to draw blood, for example, at the hospital.”
Sheriffs will investigate the incident for a variety of different causes and release their findings in a matter of days or weeks.
A second crash occurred after another driver had stopped to help Mr Woods, according to local officials. The wreck was minor and no one was hurt.
A slew of sporting figures, as well as former president Donald Trump, have become the first to publicly send their “prayers” and “thoughts” to Mr Woods, via social media, as he is treated in hospital.
- Tiger Woods undergoes surgery after California car crash
- Donald Trump and Lindsey Vonn among those sharing messages of support
- The highs and lows of Tiger Woods’ extraordinary career
- ‘I’m sick to my stomach’: Justin Thomas leads golf world’s reaction to crash
- Tiger Woods was driving $50,000 luxury SUV at time of crash
Hello, and welcome to The Independent’s rolling overage of the fallout from Tiger Woods’ car accident.
Tiger Woods in surgery following crash, his agent confirms
Tiger Woods’ agent has said the golfer sustained significant injuries in the accident and was undergoing surgery to correct the damage.
“Tiger Woods was in a single-car accident this morning in California where he suffered multiple leg injuries. He is currently in surgery and we thank you for your privacy and support,” said Mark Steinberg.
Here’s everything we know so far, by Graeme Massie:
Tiger Woods hospitalised after serious car accident in California
Firefighters had to extricate superstar from vehicle after it rolled over near Los Angeles
Third time Woods will be investigated over car-related issues
This is the third time Tiger Woods has been involved in a car investigation, with the most notorious being the Thanksgiving 2009 accident when his SUV ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree.
In May 2017, Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car parked awkwardly on the side of the road. He was arrested on a DUI charge and said later he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medicine, which he had for his back pain.
But Mr Woods later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic to get help with prescription medication and a sleep disorder.
Police have given no indication what caused the crash yet, only saying that an investigation has been launched.
Various sporting figures ‘send prayers’ to golfer
Messages for Tiger Woods have begun pouring in on social media, with fellow golfer Ian Poulter and former footballer Gary Lineker leading the charge.
Trump wishes ‘true champion’ Woods well
Donald Trump has added his voice to those wishing Tiger Woods a speedy recovery.
According to the 45th president’s adviser, Jason Miller, Mr Trump said: “Get well soon, Tiger. You are a true champion!”
The golfer received his medal of freedom from Mr Trump in 2019.
It is well known how much the former president values the sport - he was actually playing a game when Joe Biden was announced the winner of the 2020 presidential race.
PGA assures Woods he will have ‘full support as he recovers’
The PGA Tour has issued a statement concerning Tiger Woods, assuring the golfer he is “in” the organisation’s “prayers” and will have its “full support as he recovers”.
LA police release details of crash location
Tiger Woods’ car crash occurred shortly before 7.15am and about 20 miles (32km) south of downtown Los Angeles, on the border of the upscale communities of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, officials have now said. Woods was in Los Angeles over the weekend as the “tournament host” of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, where he presented the trophy.
He was to spend Monday and Tuesday filming with Discovery-owned GOLFTV, with whom he has an endorsement contract.
‘Your Tiger within is a beast,’ Pinkett-Smith tells Woods
Jade Pinkett-Smith, who was with Tiger Woods on Monday, tweeted to tell fans not to take “even a moment for granted”.
“I know you’re good because your Tiger within is a beast!!!” she wrote.
The actress and wife of Will Smith had posted just hours earlier about her “golf journey with Tiger”, telling her 1.6 million followers that playing the sport with him was a “dream come true”.
‘Sick to my stomach’: Golfer Justin Thomas adds to chorus of well-wishers
My colleague, Danielle Zoellner, has more on all the famous figures sending messages of love and support to Tiger Woods.
Donald Trump leads well-wishers following Tiger Woods car crash
‘Get well soon, Tiger. You are a true champion,’ Mr Trump says in a statement
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