Golf legend Tiger Woods was pulled from the twisted wreckage of a car crash early Tuesday morning, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
Woods was traveling through the Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes neighborhoods, near Long Beach, at about 7:12 a.m. PT when his SUV crashed and rolled over. He was the sole occupant, the sheriff’s department said.
The car sustained such major damage that crews needed to use “jaws of life” hydraulic machinery to pry open the wreck and pull him out.
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Footage aired on MSNBC showed the badly damaged car lying on a grassy hill several feet from the roadway.
Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg told The Daily Beast in a statement that Woods suffered multiple leg injuries in the single-car crash. “He is currently in surgery and we thank you for your privacy and support,” he said.
Woods was hospitalized with “moderate to critical” injuries, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
Unidentified law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times that Woods was traveling “at a high rate of speed” when he lost control on a curvy stretch of Hawthorne Boulevard, crossed a center divider, and rolled several times. He had to be extricated through the windshield, sources said.
Woods has been in Southern California for the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational, a golf contest at the Riviera County Club that benefits Woods’ foundation. The SUV he was driving appears to have a Genesis Invitational decal on the driver’s side door.
Woods hadn’t competed in the Genesis Invitational due to his recent back surgery. The 45-year-old underwent his fourth microdiscectomy procedure, to remove abnormal disc material, and his fifth back surgery in late December after years of persistent back issues. He has also had persistent knee injuries and underwent two surgeries in 2008.
Woods blamed his persistent back pain and insomnia for a DUI arrest near his Jupiter Island, Florida home in 2017.
A toxicology report said Woods had five different drugs in his system at the time of the arrest: hydrocodone, an opioid pain drug; hydromorphone, another type of painkiller; alprazolam, an anxiety drug like Xanax; aolpidem, a sleep drug like Ambien; and delta-9 carboxy THC, which is found in marijuana.
He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and had to go to DUI school, perform community service, pay a $250 fine, and complete a yearlong diversion program.
It was Woods’ second serious crash while in the public eye. Two days after an infidelity scandal erupted in 2009, he crashed his Cadillac Escalade SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his Florida mansion at 2:30 a.m. His then-wife Elin Nordegren had to pull him from the car.
He was treated for minor facial cuts and received a ticket for careless driving. He later completed 45 days of therapy.
In the wake of the crash, a tsunami of information about Woods’ private life came out, including that he had been cheating on his wife with multiple women.
The revelations cost the golf legend several major sponsorships, and he didn’t return to the sport for five months.
Just days ago, Woods was photographed on the golf course for a friendly round with former Miami Heat basketball legend Dwayne Wade. The last time he competed professionally, however, was on Dec. 20 at the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida—where he played alongside his 11-year-old son, Charlie. The pair finished seventh.
Source: YahooNews
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