Tiger Woods Hit Speeds Up To 87 MPH Before Crashing

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — Tiger Woods drove up to 87 miles per hour before crashing into a median and flipping his SUV near the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced Wednesday. Speed was a primary cause of the crash, the department concluded.

No evidence of any impairment was found, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a live news conference Wednesday updating the Woods crash investigation.

Woods drove from 84 to 87 mph and struggled to negotiate the curve of the roadway, which is a problem area for local drivers, the department said. He crashed into a tree at a speed of 75 mph, the department said.

"We are thankful that he survived this tragic collision, and I'd like to point out that Tiger Woods and his representatives have been very cooperative throughout this investigative process," Villanueva said.

The Sheriff's Department said it had concluded its investigation into the Rancho Palos Verdes single-vehicle rollover crash that left golf legend Woods seriously injured. Investigators had previously withheld the information, citing privacy concerns, officials said last week, before releasing the information Wednesday.

Woods and his team agreed to provide public information about the investigation, Villanueva said.

No citations were issued. Woods' phone was not checked for texting — no distracted driving was suggested.

Authorities did not check for alcohol or drugs in his system at the crash site. "There were no signs of impairment," Villanueva said. "Our primary concern at the scene of the collision was safety."

The SUV's data recorder showed that Woods could have hit the accelerator instead of the brake while he was driving, sheriff's Capt. James Powers of the Lomita Station said. "The impact of the vehicle when it hit the tree caused the vehicle to go airborne and do a somewhat pirouette, landing on its side," Powers said.

Authorities did not obtain a search warrant for bloodwork, Powers said. "Due to his injuries and the traumatic nature of his injuries, it would not have been appropriate," Powers said. "He doesn’t have any recollection of the incident," Powers added.

Woods was awake and coherent following the crash and answered questions in the emergency room, he said. "He was in a state of shock at the onset of that collision," Powers said.

The sheriff's department has concluded its investigation into the crash. "A cause has been determined. The investigation has been concluded; however, we reached out to Tiger Woods and his personnel, and there are some privacy issues on releasing information on the investigation, so we're going to ask them if they waive the privacy, and then we will be able to do a full release on all the information regarding the accident," Villanueva said earlier.

"We have all the contents of the black box," Villanueva said, referring to data memory from the vehicle that revealed more information about the crash. "We've got everything. It's completed, signed, sealed and delivered; however, we can't release it without the permission of the people involved in the collision."

Woods continued his recovery at home in Florida, he previously announced on Twitter.

"Happy to report that I am back home and continuing my recovery," Woods said. "I am so grateful for the outpouring of support and encouragement that I have received over the past few weeks. Thank you to the incredible surgeons, doctors, nurses and staff at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. You have all taken such great care of me and I cannot thank you enough. I will be recovering at home and working on getting stronger every day."

Woods suffered significant leg injuries and underwent emergency surgery by orthopedic trauma specialists at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center, said Anish Mahajan, chief medical officer and interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Woods was alone driving the 2021 Genesis GV80 downhill on a curve, heading northbound on Hawthorne Boulevard, when he crashed into a "Welcome to Rolling Hills Estates" sign in the center median, crossed two oncoming lanes and rolled over several times.

He had hosted the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at the Riviera Country Club and had a two-day Golf Digest/GOLFTV shoot and had even spent time with Dwayne Wade and comedian David Spade.

At the time, Woods was recovering from back surgery in December and said he was hoping to return to playing. He has battled back issues in recent years and last competed on Dec. 20 at the PNC Championship in Orlando. He subsequently had surgery to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching a nerve, his first surgery since undergoing a spinal fusion in April 2017.

The 45-year-old golfer was trapped inside the car wreckage, and firefighters needed an ax and other tools to pull him from the SUV through the windshield, officials said. No other vehicles were involved.

Woods was not able to stand on his feet following the crash, Deputy Carlos Gonzalez said. Gonzalez was the first to arrive at the crash and found Woods seated in the vehicle wearing a seat belt, he said.

Woods was stable but had serious injuries. The seatbelt helped save his life, Gonzalez added. "It's very fortunate that Tiger Woods was able to come out of this alive," Gonzalez said.