Tiger Woods was arrested at the scene of a rollover crash on Jupiter Island, Fla., on suspicion of driving under the influence.
The incident occurred shortly before 2:00 p.m. on a narrow two-lane road near Woods’ home, where his Land Rover clipped a pickup truck hauling a pressure cleaner, causing the SUV to roll onto its driver’s side, according to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek.
Pictures of the scene of the crash showed a vehicle on its side.
The 15-time major champion has been involved in highly publicized car crashes in the past, including a 2009 collision with a tree near his home and a 2021 crash that left him with severe injuries.
Budensiek said Woods was speeding northbound on South Beach Road and attempted to pass the pickup, which was making a turn, causing his SUV to roll over.
The sheriff said he did not know how fast Woods was driving, but said, “I can tell you this: It’s a 30-mile-an-hour speed limit. And when I show you the photos, they kind of speak for themselves.”
“You can see where he clipped the back of the trailer. You can see where he rolled. And then as he decelerates, sliding down on the driver’s door of the vehicle. You can see that he slid for a pretty decent space before he came to a stop,” added Budensiek.
The Martin County sheriff said that had another vehicle had been traveling southbound at the time of the accident, Woods might not have survived.
“We would not be having a conversation saying there was no injuries,” Budensiek continued.
Woods climbed out of the passenger’s window to get out, with both parties uninjured, according to the sheriff.
“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,” Budensiek said.
DUI investigators at the scene of the crash believed that Woods was not impaired by alcohol after conducting several tests on him.
Budensiek stated that while Woods blew a 0.00 on a breathalyzer test, he exhibited signs of impairment and refused a urine test for drug use, leading to his arrest.
“They believe it was some type of medication or drug,” said Budensiek, who noted that no medications or drugs were found in the SUV by the DUI investigators.
“He is cooperative, but he was not trying to incriminate himself,” the sheriff added. “So, he was careful in what he said and didn’t say.”
Woods arrived at the Martin County jail at 3 p.m. and was later released after posting bond.
He now faces two misdemeanor charges of DUI with property damage and refusing to submit to a lawful test.
Woods, who has previously been suspected of DUI, was arrested in Jupiter in May 2017 after police found him asleep at the wheel in his car, which was still running with two flat tires and damage on the front and rear bumpers.
Woods claimed he had taken a bad mix of painkillers and later pleaded guilty to reckless driving.
The 50-year old Woods has spent the past several months recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon and another back surgery in October.
He competed for the first time in more than a year during the Tomorrow’s Golf League finals on March 24, where his Jupiter Links GC team lost to the Los Angeles Golf Club.
Woods, who last competed on the PGA Tour in July 2024, had been weighing whether to return at the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, the first major of the season, which begins April 9.
Over the past six years, Woods has been heavily involved in shaping the future of the PGA Tour as chairman of the Future Competition Committee. He is a player director on the PGA Tour Policy Board and PGA Tour Enterprises, the PGA’s for-profit entity.
Editor’s Note: Support and follow PJ Media’s coverage of breaking news and key events. Join PJ Media VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.
