Tiger Woods was hospitalized in the aftermath of a single-car wreck on Tuesday, February 23, and authorities have officially ruled it an accident.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a statement after the pro athlete, 45, was “extricated from the wreck with the ‘jaws of life’ by Los Angeles County firefighters and paramedics” when his vehicle flipped over several times. The car “sustained major damage” and Woods’ manager later told Golf Digest that he “suffered multiple leg injuries.” The California native was the only passenger in the car.
During a press conference on Tuesday, more details about the crash and Woods’ condition were revealed. Authorities noted that the golf champ was conscious when first responders arrived at the scene, asserting that there was “no evidence of impairment.”
Los Angeles County sheriff Alex Villanueva added, “The first contact was with the center median, from there then crossed into the opposing lane of traffic, hit the curb, hit a tree, and there were several rollovers during that process.”
Later that evening, Villanueva addressed concerns from the public on the department’s Facebook page and denied the possibility of Woods facing reckless driving charges.
“This is purely an accident,” the sheriff said. “We do not contemplate any charges whatsoever in this crash. This remains an accident. An accident is not a crime.”
One day before his hospitalization, Woods gave Dwyane Wade and David Spade a hands-on lesson on the driving range for Golf TV and Golf Digest. The former Miami heat player, 39, opened up about spending a “great day” with the 15-time major champion.
“I woke up today so proud to be able to post that moment for the world to be able to get a little snippet of our moment together,” Wade recalled during an appearance on Inside the NBA on Tuesday. “And I took a nap, and I woke up to the news. … I’m just thankful that he took the time to be able to teach me a few things about the game yesterday.”
The Chicago native was “shaken” after learning about what happened to Woods — and he wasn’t the only one. Alex Rodriguez, Barack Obama and more stars sent well-wishes to Woods while waiting for an update on his condition.
“Praying for TW right now 
,” Lindsey Vonn, who dated Woods for three years before their May 2015 split, tweeted on Tuesday night.
Keep scrolling for the latest on Woods’ car crash and recovery.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed that Woods was traveling on the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes when the crash took place at roughly 7 a.m. local time. While the department's statement initially claimed that the Florida resident was "extricated from the wreck with the 'jaws of life,'" County Fire Chief Daryl Osby later noted that firefighters simply used an ax and other tools to remove Woods from the severely damaged vehicle.
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Woods traveled to California for his annual Genesis Invitational golf tournament at the Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades. One day before the crash, he played a round of golf with Spade and Wade. "Tiger, thank you for teaching me something," the NBA star wrote via Instagram hours before the accident made headlines.
Courtesy of David Spade/Instagram
The Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday that Woods' injuries consisted of a shattered ankle and two leg fractures, one of which was a compound fracture. He was transported to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
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Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, who arrived at the wreck, claimed in a press conference on Tuesday that the 11-time PGA Player of the Year "seemed as though he was lucid and calm" and was able to tell the officer his name. Woods was in the drivers' seat when the car flipped several times and "didn't seem concerned about his injuries at the time, which is not uncommon in traffic collisions," Gonzalez explained.
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Villaneuva added that there were "no skid marks" on the road, indicating that Woods didn't try to slow down before crashing his vehicle. Though he was traveling at a "relatively greater speed than normal," there was "no evidence of impairment."
The golf pro was also wearing his seatbelt, which authorities think saved his life. "The front end was totally destroyed, the bumpers, everything totally destroyed, airbags deployed, all of that," Villanueva said on Tuesday. "However, thankfully the interior was more or less intact, which kind of gave him the cushion to survive what otherwise would have been a fatal crash."
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A statement uploaded to Woods' Twitter account on Tuesday night thanked fans for their "overwhelming support" following the accident and shared an update on his progress. "He has undergone a long surgical procedure on his lower right leg and ankle after being brought to the hospital," the statement noted. "He is currently awake, responsive and recovering in a hospital room."
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While fielding questions about the wreck on the police department's Facebook page on Wednesday, Villanueva ensured the public that Woods would not be charged with reckless driving. "This is purely an accident," the sheriff stated. "We do not contemplate any charges whatsoever in this crash. This remains an accident. An accident is not a crime."
Villanueva also reiterated that "there was no evidence of any impairment" from alcohol or "medication, narcotics, or anything like that."
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Harbor-UCLA Medical Center’s interim CEO, Dr. Anish Mahajan, announced via the hospital’s Twitter account on Thursday, February 25, that Woods had been transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. to continue “orthopedic care and recovery.”
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L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy John Schloegl gave an update on Woods’ condition on March 3, saying in a press conference, “I understand he is resting comfortably, he is healing.” After Woods’ surgery the week prior, the deputy added: “He is in good spirits, which is a good sign, and hopefully he’ll get himself back on his feet at some point down the road.”
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Woods revealed on March 16 that he’d left the hospital. “Happy to report that I am back home and continuing my recovery,” he tweeted. “I am so grateful for the outpouring of support and encouragement that I have received over the past few weeks.”
He also thanked the “incredible surgeons, doctors, nurses and staff” for taking “such great care” of him and concluded, “I will be recovering at home and working on getting stronger every day.”
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Disturbing new details emerged about the accident on March 20, with law enforcement sources telling TMZ the crash investigation revealed that Woods started speeding up shortly before the crash, but there was no evidence that he took his foot off the accelerator. “Investigators believe Tiger did nothing to prevent the crash once he lost control of the vehicle,” TMZ reported.
The golfer was cleared at the scene of drug or alcohol impairment, but according to documents obtained by CNN, he had no memory of the accident and “did not remember driving.”
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More than one month after the crash made headlines, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed that their investigation was complete and that the cause of the accident had been determined. However, they would not be presenting the findings to the public due to "some privacy issues" on Woods' end.
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Lomita Sheriff’s Captain James Powers revealed in a press conference in April 2021 that the golfer was going between 82 and 86 mph at the time of the crash, which played a part in the dangerous accident. “The cause of the collision was the speed and inability to maintain the roadway,” Powers said. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva added that Woods will not face citations or charges for speeding in the 45-mph zone.
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“My course is coming along faster than I am 😃,” Woods joked via Instagram on April 23. “But it’s nice to have a faithful rehab partner, man’s best friend.” The golfer shared a photo of himself standing with crutches and a boot on his right foot on the green with his dog beside him.
Courtesy of Tiger Woods/Instagram
Woods gave his first interview following the accident in May 2021, telling Golf Digest that the recovery from these injuries has "been an entirely different animal."
The athlete, who had no comment about whether he'd be able to return to golf again, added "I understand more of the rehab processes because of my past injuries, but this was more painful than anything I have ever experienced."
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