Tiger Woods was arrested upon suspicion of DUI Friday afternoon following a car accident near his home in Hobe Sound, Fla., which resulted in one car rolling onto its side. The accident involved two cars, one of which Woods was driving, took place shortly after 1 p.m. and did not result in any injuries. Woods was taken to Martin County jail and will be released after eight hours, according to sheriff John Budensiek, who provided an explanation of the accident update for reporters Friday evening.
According to Budensiek, a pickup truck pulling a trailer was pulling into a driveway near 281 Beach Road in Hobe Sound and a Land Rover was moving at a “high rate of speed” to pass the pickup truck, which was slowing for the turn. The Land Rover clipped the back of the trailer and rolled onto its driver side, sliding to a halt.
“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.”
After multiple roadside tests, Woods was placed under arrest and taken into county jail. He is not believed to have suffered any injuries.
Sheriff Budensiek said Woods was cooperative with authorities who believed him to not be impaired via alcohol, but rather via medication or drugs. Woods blew 0.00 on a breathalyzer test but refused a urine test. As a result of that refusal, Budensiek said, “we will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on a the time of the crash.” Woods’ refusal of a urine test is also considered a criminal offense in Florida when arrested for DUI. Both charges are misdemeanors, according to Budensiek.
Woods was described as “lethargic” at the scene of the accident. Budensiek was unsure if Woods was wearing a seatbelt. The first responders to the scene were officers from the Jupiter Police Department, who requested the assistance of the Martin County Sheriff’s Department.
Woods has a history of traffic accidents. In May 2017, he was arrested for DUI in the early morning in Jupiter, Fla. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Department released a report that marked five different drugs in Woods’ system, but zero trace of alcohol. In February 2021, Woods was involved in an accident in southern California around 7 a.m. but showed “no signs of impairment,” according to local authorities. He suffered serious lower-body injuries that day, which has made it difficult for him to compete in the years since.
This post will be updated as more information is made available.