The Tiger Woods accident in February was caused by overspeed, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
Woods was seriously injured and is recovering in Florida, but will not be charged.
Woods’s truck was traveling 84 to 87 mph on a downhill stretch of freeway outside Los Angeles, at a speed limit of 45 mph, and was traveling 75 mph when his car hit a tree, the sheriff said. Alex Villanueva.
No traffic cards were issued and there were no signs of disability or distracted driving.
Villanueva blamed the February 23 accident solely on Woods’ excessive speed and loss of control behind the wheel. Captain James Powers said there was no evidence that the golfer braked in the accident and that Woods inadvertently stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal.
Villanueva said Woods and his representatives cooperated in the investigation and agreed to share the findings.
– Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 7, 2021
Woods later issued a statement acknowledging the help he received after the accident.
“I will continue to focus on my recovery and my family. I am grateful for the overwhelming support and encouragement I have received on this difficult journey,” he wrote.
Woods, who is from the Los Angeles area, had returned home to host his PGA tournament, the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, when the accident occurred.
He was driving a pickup truck that lent him the tournament when it reached an elevated median at Rolling Hills Estates outside of Los Angeles. The truck crossed two lanes in the opposite direction and uprooted a tree on a downhill stretch that police say is notorious for accidents.
Documents show that Woods told deputies that he did not know how the accident happened and that he did not remember driving. At the time of the accident, Woods was recovering from a fifth back surgery, which took place two months earlier.
Woods is recovering from multiple surgeries in Florida as a result of serious leg injuries sustained in the accident. Woods has never been without games for a whole year, dating back to his first PGA Tour event when he was 16 years old in high school.
Rory McIlroy, a four-time major golf champion who lives near Woods, said he visited him on March 21.
“I spent a few hours with him, which was fun. It was good to see him,” McIlroy said from the Masters on Tuesday. “It was good to see him in a good mood. When you hear about these things and you look at the car and you see the accident, you think he will be in a hospital bed for six months. But he actually did better than that.”
Villanueva had previously said that investigators had determined the cause of the crash but would not reveal it, citing privacy concerns and an alleged need for Woods’ permission to disclose information.
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The authorities ruled out that he was under the influence of any substance.
Villanueva was criticized for weeks for his comments about the accident, including calling it “purely an accident” and claiming that there were no signs of deterioration. Documents show that Woods told deputies that he did not know how the accident happened and that he did not remember driving.
Detectives searched the data recorder, known as the black box, of the 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV. Investigators, however, did not seek warrants for blood samples from Woods, which could be tested for drugs and alcohol.
This is the third time that Woods has participated in a vehicle survey.
The most egregious example was when his SUV drove over a fire hydrant and crashed into a tree early in the morning after Thanksgiving in 2009. That accident started shocking revelations that he had cheated on his wife with several women. Woods lost major corporate sponsorship, went to rehab in Mississippi, and didn’t return to golf for five months.
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The authorities ruled out that he was under the influence of any substance.
In May 2017, Florida police found him asleep at the wheel of a car awkwardly parked on the side of the road. He was arrested on a DUI charge and later said he had an unexpected reaction to prescription drugs for his back pain. Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic for help with prescription drugs and a sleep disorder.
The Associated Press contributed to this report