Tiger Woods released on bail after arrest at car crash scene on suspicion of DUI
The golf legend managed to crawl out of his Land Rover after it struck another vehicle and rolled on its side
Tiger Woods was released on bail on Friday, hours after his Land Rover clipped a truck, rolled onto its side and the golfer was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, officials said.
Christine Weiss, a spokeswoman for the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, said Woods, who was not injured in the crash, was released late on Friday. Florida law required that he spend at least eight hours in jail before he could post bail.
Woods had been travelling at “high speeds” on a residential road and after the crash showed “signs of impairment”, Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said, adding that investigators believed he had taken some kind of medication or drug. He described Woods as lethargic and said he agreed to a breathalyser test that showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test and was arrested.
Budensiek had said Woods was being held in jail but separate from others.
“He’s not going to be with other inmates that could hurt him or try to capitalise on what he did,” he said. “He’ll pay the price, but he’s not going to pay the price by getting punished in jail.”
It was the second time Woods has been arrested for a DUI not as a result of the influence of alcohol. He said he took a bad mix of painkillers when authorities found him in 2017 asleep behind the wheel of his car, the engine still running and its driver’s side damaged. Woods pleaded guilty then to reckless driving.