Tiger Woods was “calm and lucid” when authorities reported to the site of his single-vehicle rollover collision on Tuesday morning, authorities shared during a press conference this afternoon.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, who was first to arrive at the scene, told reporters that the pro golfer was conscious and able to communicate.
“I asked him what his name was. He told me his name was Tiger, and at that moment I immediately recognized him,” Gonzalez shared. “I asked him if he knew where he was, what time of day, just to make sure he was oriented. He seemed as though he was lucid and calm.”
Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, previously confirmed to Access Hollywood in a statement that his client “suffered multiple leg injuries” in the single-car collision and was “currently in surgery.”
When asked about Woods‘ reaction to his injuries, Gonzalez said, “He didn’t seem concerned of his injuries at the time, which is not uncommon in traffic collisions. Many times, people tend to be in shock. It’s a traumatic experience, so it’s not uncommon for people to be focused on unimportant things, or, even if they are in pain, they might not feel it until much later.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva additionally shared that deputies “did not see any evidence of impairment” from Woods.
Woods was behind the wheel of a 2021 Genesis SUV near the intersection of Hawthorne Blvd. and Palos Verdes Dr. North in Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., on Tuesday morning when the crash occurred, according to authorities.
Sheriff Villanueva said there were “no skid marks, no breaking.” He explained the chain of events: “Apparently, the first contact was with the center median, and from there, [the car] then crossed through the opposing lane of traffic, hit the curb, hit a tree, and there were several rollovers during that process.”
“At the time, it crossed the center divider to the point that it rested was several hundred feet away, so obviously that indicates [the car] was going at a relatively greater speed than normal,” he responded when asked about the possibility that Woods’ car was traveling over the speed limit. “However, because it is downhill, it slopes and it also curves, that area has a high frequency of accidents. It is not uncommon.”
Villanueva said that Woods’ vehicle was greatly damaged from the crash.
“The front end was totally destroyed. The bumpers, everything was destroyed, airbags deployed, all of that. However, the interior was more or less intact, which kind of gave him the cushion to survive what otherwise would’ve been a fatal crash,” he shared.
Deputy Gonzalez echoed this, adding, “The nature of his vehicle, the fact that he was wearing a seatbelt, I would say that it greatly increased the likelihood that it saved his life.” He also noted that he’s seen fatal crashes on that same road, adding, “It’s very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive.”
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby clarified to reporters that while Woods was extracted from the vehicle, this was done using a Halligan prying tool and an axe, rather than a “jaws of life” device as previously reported.
According to Deputy Gonzalez, Woods “was not able to stand under his own power” and was put on a backboard by LAFD responders.
From there, Woods was driven to a nearby hospital, Chief Osby confirmed.
“Because of the nature of the incident being a solo-vehicle rollover and the fact that it required an extraction, that met trauma center criteria. The nearest trauma center to the area is Harbor UCLA Hospital, where he was transported in serious but stable condition,” he explained.