Golfer Tiger Woods was hospitalized Tuesday morning after a serious crash near Rancho Palos Verdes, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
Woods was the only occupant of a Genesis GV80 SUV driving north on Hawthorne Boulevard on Blackhorse Road when it crashed just after 7 a.m., authorities said. The vehicle suffered extensive damage and Woods had to be freed from the wreckage by firefighters and paramedics in Los Angeles County, the sheriff said.
Sources said it should be removed from the car’s windshield.
“Because of the situation and the way you found the vehicle, he couldn’t open the door and come out,” said Henry Narvaez, LA County Fire Department spokesman. ‘We have freed him; we helped get him out of the vehicle. “
Woods was transported by ambulance to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he is in “serious” condition and is being treated for his injuries, the fire department said.
Woods “sustained injuries to several legs. He is currently undergoing surgery and we thank you for your privacy and support, ”said his manager, Mark Steinberg.
Aerial photos of the crash site showed Woods’ vehicle lying on its side about 30 meters from the road.
Woods was in Los Angeles hosting the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, a golf tournament that closed on Sunday. He didn’t play in the event as he was recovering from his fifth back surgery, but told CBS presenter Jim Nantz in a final round interview that he hoped to play in the Masters in April.
“God, I hope so. I have to get there first, ”Woods said in the interview. “A lot of it is based on my surgeons and doctors and therapists and making sure I’m doing it correctly. This is the only back that I have; I don’t have much more room for maneuver. “
According to several reports, Woods was at the golf course Monday to shoot something for Golf Digest, and both retired NBA star Dwyane Wade and comedian David Spade tweeted that they played with him that day.
Law enforcement sources asking for anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter told The Times that Woods was driving at high speed and lost control of the vehicle before crossing the center divider. Woods’ SUV rolled several times before coming to a stop. Officials have not revealed the cause of the crash.
The crash occurred on a winding, steep stretch of Hawthorne Boulevard, a main road that cuts through the Palos Verdes peninsula and where signs warn trucks to use a lower gear when descending. The road was closed Tuesday morning because delegates were investigating.
The sheriff’s deputies, who specialize in accident investigation, photographed the scene and were required to take measurements and detail the wreckage before it was removed. The front of the SUV was badly damaged and the windshield frame removed where Woods was removed from the vehicle.
Bob Fong, 67, who lives on Blackhorse Road, just north of the crash site, saw police cars on Hawthorne Boulevard Tuesday morning and thought, “It must have been a big celebrity who crashed.”
Fong knows how tricky the curves on the steep Hawthorne Boulevard can be – so much so that there is a run-off lane close to the crash site for emergency use.
This isn’t the first car accident that Woods was involved in. In 2009, while backing up from his driveway in a gated community near Orlando, Florida, his Cadillac SUV hit a fire hydrant and hit a neighbor’s tree.
In 2017, Woods was arrested in Jupiter, Florida, after police officers found him asleep at the wheel of his car. Woods later said the incident was triggered by an “unexpected reaction to prescription drugs.”
Times writer Christina Schoellkopf contributed to this report.