Golf legend Tiger Woods has been released on bail following a car crash in Florida that led to his arrest on charges of driving under the influence, property damage, and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
The 50-year-old, a 15-time major champion, rolled his Land Rover on Jupiter Island’s Beach Road on Friday afternoon after clipping a trailer while allegedly attempting to overtake it at a “high rate of speed,” according to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek.
The vehicle tipped onto its side, but fortunately, no one was injured.
“He has a right to refuse that test,” Sheriff Budensiek said, referring to Woods’ decision not to submit to a urine test.
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“There is a statute which he will be charged with for refusing to take that test, but we will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on at the time of the crash.”
The sheriff noted that Woods passed a breathalyser test with “triple zeros” and that authorities were “really not suspicious of alcohol being involved.”
Investigators suspected impairment possibly linked to medication, with Woods showing “signs of impairment” during in-depth roadside tests. “He did explain the injuries and surgeries that he’s had, and we did take that into account,” Budensiek said.
Woods was detained for about eight hours, the minimum under Florida law, before being released on bond early Saturday.
US President Donald Trump commented on the incident, describing Woods as “an amazing person – an amazing man” and expressing concern: “I feel so badly. He has got some difficulty. There was an accident. That’s all I know. He’s a very close friend of mine.”
The charges against Woods are misdemeanours, not felonies. However, they add to a history of traffic-related incidents for the golfer, including a 2017 DUI arrest in Florida and a near-fatal crash in 2021 in California that left him with serious leg injuries and required extensive surgery.
Sheriff Budensiek said the crash underscores the dangers of high-speed driving. “The speed limit on the road was 30 miles per hour,” he noted, highlighting that Woods’ vehicle was moving significantly faster before overturning.
