LONDON, April 3 — Tiger Woods has described looking down at his phone before hearing a “boom” as he crashed his car, according to bodycam footage released by Florida police, reported PA Media/dpa.
Fifteen-time major winner Woods, 50, was arrested after escaping unhurt from the accident in which he clipped a trailer he was attempting to overtake and rolled his Range Rover.
He was charged with driving under the influence, as well as property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test, following last week’s incident on Jupiter Island, Florida.
Woods was arrested and spent eight hours in jail on Friday before being released on bail.
Martin County court documents showed Woods formally skipped the initial court appearance on Tuesday but entered a written plea of not guilty via his lawyers and demanded a jury trial.
The bodycam footage, released by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, shows Woods, wearing sunglasses, on his knees being assessed for injuries on a grass verge near the accident site at a junction.
He described the moment of the crash, saying: “I look down at my phone and all of a sudden … boom.”
When asked if he was comfortable, Woods replied, “Yeah, yeah.” The police officer then told him that a doctor would examine him.
The officer then walked over to speak with the driver of the other vehicle, which was towing a trailer, with Woods’ black Range Rover flipped on its side at the junction of a narrow side road.
The driver of the other vehicle, who was also unhurt, is reported to have said he was stationary, in front of Woods’ vehicle, at the time of the collision.
More footage shows Woods undergoing various sobriety tests, and two hydrocodone pills – a prescription opioid used to treat severe pain – were found in his pocket during a search.
When asked by a police officer how much he had to drink today, Woods replied: “None.”
When asked if he was taking any medication, he replied: “I take a few, yes.” Woods added that he had taken all his medication earlier that morning.
After his sobriety tests, Woods was handcuffed and told by the officer: “At this time, I do believe that your normal faculties are impaired and you’re under an unknown substance, so you are under arrest for a DUI [driving under the influence].”
It was the fourth occasion Woods has been involved in a motoring accident since 2009.
He has undergone numerous surgeries throughout his career, many to the leg and ankle, since suffering multiple injuries in a serious crash in 2021.
Before the incident, there had been speculation over whether Woods might play at the Masters – an event he has won five times – next week.
That will now not happen, and the PGA of America said on Wednesday that Woods had turned down the opportunity to captain the United States (US) at the 2027 Ryder Cup after he announced he would step away from golf for a period to focus on his health and well-being.
