Detectives have determined the cause of Tiger Woods’ car crash, but can’t reveal the details to the public without the golfer’s permission, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced on Wednesday.
“We have all the contents of the black box, we’ve got everything. It’s completed, signed, sealed, and delivered,” Villanueva said in a Facebook Live video. “However, we can’t release it without the permission of the people involved in the collision.”
Woods spent several weeks in the hospital and is currently recovering at home after the one-car crash on February 23, which caused serious injuries to his right leg and required emergency surgery. Doctors inserted a rod to treat open fractures to his tibia and fibula, and pins and screws were inserted into his foot and ankle bones to treat additional injuries.
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Officials stated at the time of the accident there was no evidence of drugs or alcohol involved.
The crash occurred on a steep road in a Los Angeles suburb near the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes. Crashes are common there, according to Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, who was the first to arrive on the scene. He said he sometimes catches drivers there going over 80 mph on the downhill 45 mph zone.
Woods was driving a midsize SUV (2021 Genesis) when it crossed a median and two lanes, hit a curb, hit trees, and rolled over several times before coming to a rest a few hundred feet from the road. There was no evidence of braking.
“It’s very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive,” Gonzalez said.
It is thought that Woods avoided more life-threatening injuries because he was wearing a seat belt and his airbag deployed.
The black box on the SUV should determine whether or not Woods was speeding at the time of the crash.
Villanueva said authorities are seeking Woods’ permission to waive some “privacy issues” to release the information to the public.