Following a car crash, Tiger Woods has been arrested for DUI.
The pro golfer got into a rollover crash on Jupiter Island, Florida, on Friday, but at the time of the crash, no further details were released.
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Per Yahoo! Sports, Martin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Woods was arrested for DUI. Police officials say that just before 2 p.m. ET, his Range Rover was traveling at a high speed on Beach Road when he tried to pass a truck. His SUV clipped the back of the truck’s trailer and flipped onto its side. Woods was uninjured from the crash, which took place just about four miles north of his home, and was able to climb out of his car on his own.
“The investigation started, and initially, right off the top, it did appear that the driver of the Land Rover might be impaired,” Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said. “And at that point, the chief of Jupiter Island Police Department called me from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office and asked for our assistance.”
It was determined that the pickup truck was attempting to turn into a driveway along Beach Road, where the accident took place, and slowed to make the turn. After seeing the Range Rover closing at high speed, the driver of the pickup truck attempted to get off the road but was unable to do so because of the narrow street. That’s when the Range Rover clipped the back end of the trailer and landed on the driver’s side.
“The individual driving that Land Rover was able to crawl out the passenger door of the car and was identified to be Mr. Tiger Woods,” Budensiek said. “Our DUI investigators came to the scene here and Mr. Woods did exemplify signs of impairment.”
While officers weren’t suspicious of alcohol, they did suspect medications or drugs. Woods ultimately took a breathalyzer that returned a 0.00 reading. He was also described as “lethargic” on the scene and tried to explain the injuries and surgeries he’s undergone. Woods, who just returned to competitive golf on Tuesday for the TGL Finals, underwent roadside tests and was arrested and charged with DUI, property damage, and refusal to submit to a lawful test. He was then transported to the Martin County Jail, where he refused a urinalysis test.
“He cooperated with the breathalyzer, and then the urine he wanted no part of,” Budensiek said. “He is cooperative, but he was not trying to incriminate himself. So he was careful in what he said and didn’t say.”
Woods was scheduled to remain incarcerated in the Martin County Jail for at least eight hours after his arrest, and would be released on bond. Neither he nor the driver of the pickup were injured, and officers did not come across any medication in Woods’ vehicle. As of now, officials are unclear just how fast Woods was going, but it was at a substantial rate to cause significant damage.
“We know we arrested a high-profile figure,” Budensiek said. “I’m not trying to dramatize, but it doesn’t matter who you are. If you break the law, we’re going to follow the law. That’s a really easy path to take. As far as being put in jail, we’re going to make sure he’s safe. We’re not going to put him in general population. He’s not going to be with other inmates that can hurt him or try to capitalize on what he did. He’ll pay the price, but he’s not going to pay the price by getting punished in jail.”