Tiger Woods told police he didn’t remember driving - report

05 March 2021 - 09:36
By Reuters
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies inspect the vehicle of golfer Tiger Woods, who was rushed to hospital after suffering multiple injuries, after it was involved in a single-vehicle accident in Los Angeles, California, on February 23 2021.
Image: REUTERS/Gene Blevins Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies inspect the vehicle of golfer Tiger Woods, who was rushed to hospital after suffering multiple injuries, after it was involved in a single-vehicle accident in Los Angeles, California, on February 23 2021.

Tiger Woods told responding deputies to his single-vehicle crash last week that he did not know how the accident happened and didn't remember driving, USA Today reported on Thursday.

USA Today cited a copy of the search warrant affidavit that was used by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to obtain the black box in the SUV Woods was driving.

“The deputies asked him how the collision occurred,” according to the affidavit. “Driver said he did not know and did not even remember driving ... Driver was treated for his injuries at the hospital and was asked there again how the collision occurred. He repeated that he did not know and did not remember driving.”

The black box houses data related to speed and acceleration, braking sequence, steering angle changes and other instrument activity.

A sheriff's deputy said on Wednesday the warrant is a matter of course in LA County and considered part of the department's due diligence.

“We're trying to determine if a crime was committed,” Sheriff's Deputy John Schloegl said. “If somebody is involved in a traffic collision, we've got to reconstruct the traffic collision, if there was any reckless driving, if somebody was on their cellphone or something like that. We determine if there was a crime. If there was no crime, we close the case, and it was a regular traffic collision.”

Woods, 45, was hurt last week in an early-morning, single-car crash near the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Emergency personnel extracted him from his car and transported him to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

He underwent surgery on Tuesday to treat multiple injuries to his right lower leg, including the insertion of a rod into the tibia. Additional screws and pins were needed in the leg, and he was treated for muscle and soft-tissue injuries. He underwent another procedure last Friday.

Woods subsequently was moved to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.