Tiger Woods hurt in rollover crash
Undergoes surgery for multiple leg injuries.
“It’s very fortunate Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive.” Carlos Gonzalez,
L.A. County Sheriff ’s Deputy, first officer to arrive on scene
Golfer Tiger Woods sustained serious leg injuries and required surgery after he was injured in a rollover car accident Tuesday morning outside Los Angeles.
Firefighters and paramedics had to extricate Woods from his sportutility vehicle using a “tool for prying” and an ax, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Woods, 45, was transported by ambulance to HarborUCLA
Medical Center. His injuries are not considered lifethreatening.
“It’s very fortunate Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive,” said Sheriff’s
Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, the first officer to arrive on the scene.
Mark Steinberg, Woods’ longtime agent, released a statement shortly after the accident saying Woods had “multiple leg injuries” and was in surgery at the time.
The accident occurred near the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, in Los Angeles County. Woods’ SUV sustained major damage, according to
the Sheriff’s Department. Deputies responded shortly before 7:15 a.m.; photos from the scene showed the vehicle on its side, with the front end smashed.
Woods was traveling at a high rate of speed and lost control of the SUV before crossing the center divider, law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, speaking at a news conference Tuesday afternoon, said Woods’ vehicle hit the center divider, a curb and a tree before rolling over several times. The SUV ended up several hundred feet away, partly down an adjacent hillside.
There were no skid marks or signs of braking, Villanueva said.
Gonzalez, the responding officer, called the sweeping, downhill stretch of Hawthorne Boulevard a “hot spot” for speed and collisions. Gonzalez said he sometimes catches drivers traveling 80 mph there; the speed limit is 45.
Gonzalez described Woods as “calm and lucid” when he arrived, and still sitting in the driver’s seat. Woods, later taken away on a backboard, was wearing his seat belt.
Woods, who lives in South Florida, was in the Los Angeles area this past weekend to serve as host of the annual PGA Tour event at Riviera Country Club. Woods then had a twoday content shoot with Golf Digest and Golf TV, with which he has an endorsement contract.
Comedian David Spade and former NBA guard Dwyane Wade posted videos and photos on social media Monday, posing with Woods on the golf course at Rolling Hills Country Club.
Tour pro Justin Thomas learned of Tuesday’s accident moments before Thomas participated in a video news conference ahead of this week’s tournament in Florida.
“I’m sick to my stomach,” Thomas said. “You know, it hurts to see one of my closest friends get in an accident. Man, I just hope he’s all right. Just worry for his kids . ... I’m sure they’re struggling.”
Said Warriors guard Stephen Curry: “It's very unfortunate. You get a text like that about Tiger, your mind goes to a dark place . ... You just wish him a speedy recovery.”
Woods also was involved in a car accident in November 2009, when he crashed into a fire hydrant near his thenOrlandoarea home. He suffered lacerations to his face. That accident marked the start of a sordid scandal that revealed multiple extramarital affairs and ultimately led to Woods and his wife,
Elin Nordegren, getting divorced.
Then, in May 2017, police in Jupiter, Fla., found Woods asleep at the wheel of his car. He was charged with driving under the influence; Woods later blamed the incident on a bad mix of prescription drugs. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and went through a treatment program to address his reliance on painkilling medication.
Woods announced last month that he had undergone the fifth back surgery of his career. He hasn’t played in an official PGA Tour event since the Masters in November.
Commissioner Jay Monahan issued a statement Tuesday, in the wake of Woods’ accident, saying, “On behalf of the PGA Tour and our players, Tiger is in our prayers and will have our full support as he recovers.”
Woods shares the tour record with Sam Snead for most career wins at 82. That includes 15 major championships, which leaves Woods second alltime behind only Jack Nicklaus (18).
Woods’ ties to the Bay Area date to his two years at Stanford in the mid1990s. He also won a World Golf Championship event at San Francisco’s Harding Park in 2005 and led the U.S. team to a Presidents Cup victory there in ’09.