TIGER SUFFERS MULTIPLE LEG INJURIES AS HE FLIPS HIS SUV
Emergency ops for golfing icon after LA fire crew cut him from wreckage
TIGER Woods escaped with his life last night after being cut from his car following a horror crash.
The golfer, considered one of the greatest ever, is said to have lost control of his 4x4 which careered across the road and rolled down an embankment.
Firefighters freed him using hydraulic cutters known as the ‘jaws of life’. He was then taken to hospital to have operations for ‘multiple’ leg injuries.
Police said the 15-time major winner’s injuries were ‘moderate to critical’. They reportedly included compound fractures on at least one leg, which make a return to golf unlikely. Woods, 45, was driving
‘I’m sick to my stomach’
alone along a steep curvy section of road in Los Angeles when his Hyundai Genesis flipped at around 7am local time. The vehicle sustained ‘major damage,’ according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department.
Police sources said the car was travelling ‘at a high rate of speed’ and Woods had to be removed through the windscreen once the glass had been cleared.
Helicopter footage from the scene showed the 4x4 on its side 30 yards off the road with its front crushed. The radiator grille, complete with registration plate, lay on the tarmac, yards away from the crumpled Genesis GV80.
‘Because of the situation and the way that you found the vehicle, he wasn’t able to open the door and come out,’ an LA County Fire Department spokesman said. ‘We extricated him, we helped assist him out of the vehicle.’
Police said Woods was conscious when they arrived. Sources said he asked emergency workers to have his manager pick up his belongings. Friends and fellow golfers last night spoke of their shock. Former world number one Justin Thomas, 27, said: ‘I’m sick to my stomach. It hurts to see one of your closest friends get in an accident. Man, I hope he’s alright. Just a word for his kids, I’m sure they’re struggling.’ The PGA Tour said: ‘Tiger is in our prayers and will have our full support as he recovers.’ It is
the third time Woods has been involved in a car mishap. The most notorious came in 2009, when his 4x4 ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree, following revelations he had cheated on his wife.
In May 2017, Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of a parked car. Woods later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic to get help with prescription medication issues and a sleep disorder.
The golfer’s manager, Mark Steinberg, said last night: ‘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.’ Police do not suspect alcohol played any part in the crash but could not rule out whether any other substance was involved.
Woods is currently recovering from the fifth back operation of his career, performed at the end of last year, and has previously talked about prescribed medication he has to take to play. The father of two lives in a £30million mansion in Florida but was in California hosting a two-day tournament.
The Genesis is understood to be a car used by tournament officials rather than his own. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said: ‘Mr Woods was extricated from the wreck with the “jaws of life” by firefighters and paramedics, then transported to a local hospital.’
Woods looked bloated and bleary-eyed during an interview on Sunday night with American network CBS. He said he had no idea if he would be fit enough following his back surgery to compete in the year’s first major, The Masters at Augusta, in April.
‘God I hope so, I’ve got to get there first,’ said Woods. ‘A lot of it is based on my surgeons, my doctors, my therapists, and making sure that I do it correctly because this is the only back I’ve got, so I don’t know how much wiggle room we’ve left here.’
Woods’s friend Donald Trump said: ‘Get well soon, Tiger. You are a true champion!’