Sheriff Won't Reveal Cause of Tiger Woods Crash

He says investigators need permission from golfer
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 31, 2021 4:55 PM CDT
Sheriff Won't Reveal Cause of Tiger Woods Crash
In this Feb. 23, 2021 photo, a crane is used to lift a vehicle following a rollover accident involving golfer Tiger Woods in the Rancho Palos Verdes suburb of Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)

The Los Angeles County sheriff says detectives have determined what caused Tiger Woods to crash his SUV last month but would not release details Wednesday, citing unspecified privacy concerns for the golf star. Woods suffered serious injuries in the Feb. 23 crash when he struck a raised median around 7am in Rolling Hills Estates, just outside Los Angeles. The Genesis SUV he was driving crossed through two oncoming lanes and uprooted a tree on a downhill stretch that police said is known for wrecks. Woods is in Florida recovering from multiple surgeries. Sheriff Alex Villanueva has been criticized for his comments about the crash, calling it "purely an accident" and saying there was no evidence of impairment, the AP reports.

Investigators did not seek a search warrant for Woods' blood samples, which could be screened for drugs and alcohol. In 2017, Woods checked himself into a clinic for help in dealing with prescription drug medication after a DUI charge in his home state of Florida. Detectives, however, did obtain a search warrant for the data recorder of the 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV, known as a black box. Villanueva would not say Wednesday what data had been found. "A cause has been determined, the investigation has concluded," Villanueva said. He claimed investigators need permission from Woods to release information about the crash. "We have reached out to Tiger Woods and his personnel," Villanueva said.

(More Tiger Woods stories.)

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