TIGER’S TERROR
Tiger Woods crash: Golf star ‘was NOT drunk or on meds’ & he won’t face charges as cops say black box will be pulled
TIGER Woods was not drunk or on medication and won't face charges as cops said the black box will be pulled from his car.
golf ace had to be cut from the wreckage of the SUV he was driving before being transferred to hospital by paramedics in .
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He had emergency surgery last night after being freed by firefighters from the mangled vehicle at an accident blackspot in Rancho Palos Verdes shortly after 7.15am on Tuesday.
Woods reportedly hit a raised central reservation at "speed", smashed through a street sign, hit a tree and then flipped a $50,000 Genesis GV80 SUV several times.
The vehicle came to rest in bushes at the side of the road where Woods was found trapped inside the car by Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, who was alerted by a neighbor who heard the crash.
During a press conference on Wednesday morning LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva confirmed that Woods will not be facing criminal charges.
"We don't contemplate any charges whatsoever in this crash," he said. "This remains an accident, an accident is not a crime, they do happen unfortunately."
Asked whether or not any drugs of alcohol tests were done at the scene, Villanueva said: "The Deputy on the scene assessed the condition of Tiger Woods and there was no evidence of any impairment whatsoever.
"He was lucid - no evidence of alcohol, no evidence of any medication or narcotics."
Reiterating that he does not believe that Woods was under the influence of alcohol, Villanueva said "he was not drunk... we can throw that one out."
The Sheriff added that there was a black box in the vehicle which will be pulled, suggesting "speed may be a factor in this accident."
Photographs and bodycam footage was also captured at the scene and will be used for the department's investigation.
It has been reported and Justin Herbert for a lesson and photoshoot at the time.
The star is said to and almost smashed into a TV director's car as he left an exclusive resort after becoming "blocked in" by another driver.
However, Deputy Gonzales said the star was calm when he arrived at he crash scene.
He said: "He was able to speak to me. He seemed calm and lucid. I kept Mr Woods calm until LA County fire department arrived on the scene.
"He told me his name was Tiger, and at that point I immediately recognized him.
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"I do think the fact that he was wearing a seat belt and that the vehicle safety features worked as designed by the manufacturer likely resulted in either reducing his injury or saving his life.
"I did consider pulling him out myself, but I decided that it would be better to wait for the fire department, since they have the specialized tools and training to remove people safely from vehicles like that.”
Doctors said Woods in the upper and lower parts of the tibia and fibula - meaning the breaks had led to bone splintering.
They fitted metal rods, screws and pins to his shattered right shinbone and calf bone following the crash.
Following the incident on Tuesday, Gonzalez said that Woods was not aware of the injuries he sustained.
"He didn't mention anything. I don't think he was aware of how gravely he was injured at the time," he said.
"It could be a mixture of adrenaline. It could have been shock.
"Again, it was very quick - the moment I arrived from the moment he rolled over - so I don't know if he had time to fully assess his injuries."
Woods was said to be "awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room" this morning as footage of him emerged behind the wheel which was filmed just before the crash.
Girlfriend Erica Herman is thought to be at his bedside.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the golfing star was "lucky to be alive."
Woods was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and the 4x4's airbag also activated, revealed one cop at the crash scene.
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Office apparently did not administer a sobriety test on the award-winning golfer as there was no reason to do so.
Villanueva said the front end and bumper of Woods' vehicle were "totally destroyed."
“The interior was more or less intact, which gave him the cushion to survive, otherwise it would have been a fatal crash," he said.
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Woods was conscious but "he was not able to get up, no, that was not an option," Villanueva added.
Villanueva said he was traveling at "a greater speed than normal" adding the "area has a high frequency of accidents,"
He later said it was "nothing short of a miracle" that Woods was still alive.
"We have seen accidents with far less obvious [damage] that are fatalities," Villanueva told CNN's on Tuesday.
Neighbours living near to the crash on Hawthorne Boulevard reported hearing a loud bang at about 7am local time on Tuesday.
Brian Bond, 52, was at his partner’s house nearby when he heard a “loud noise, almost like an explosion”.
He told PA: “I came outside, thought it was my neighbour, we didn’t know what it was, then we saw on the news he (Woods) had crashed.”
Mely Lim, 62, lives just a few yards from where Woods’ SUV crashed. She was watching the news when she was interrupted by a loud bang.
She said: “I did not go outside because I thought it might be something dangerous.”
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby said a pry bar and ax were needed to extract Woods from the mangled vehicle.
Osby said Woods "was able to communicate and he was conscious, I’ll leave it at that."
The fire chief said that responders found "no evidence of impairment" but that signs of narcotics use, alcohol and other substances would be subject to an investigation.
Woods was transported in stable condition with serious injuries to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Anish Mahajan, the center's Chief Medical Officer, said: "Mr Woods suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right leg extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopedic trauma specialists."
The sports legend also suffered fractures to his upper and lower tibia and fibula, which were stabilized with a rod, he added.
Other injuries included trauma to the muscle and soft tissue of the leg.
Muscles surrounding the bones were cut to relieve swelling, Mahajan said, describing Woods' injuries as "significant".
He did not say what the prognosis is, or whether he will be able to play golf again.
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A statement on the golf star's Twitter account this morning said he was "awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room" after emergency surgery on his lower right leg and ankle.
Details have also started to emerge from the crash, and 911 audio reveals the moment that police were alerted to the ‘high-speed’ smash.
An officer is clearly heard stating that a person is trapped after a traffic collision, and that a sheriff is on the scene.
He had been staying at The Terranea resort where the TV show Grown-ish was being filmed, the resort confirmed to The Sun.
A crew member said Woods "really did , too, when he left this morning, which shook us up because of Tiger crashing his car before."
The crew member said it was "just a coincidence that he and us are at the resort at the same time, he isn't part of the production at all."
They were "upset" by the crash since Woods' surgery "sounds major from what we've heard," the crew member said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed that was the involved in a roll-over traffic collision just after 7am local time.
Woods is reported as having promoted the Genesis brand last weekend as the host of the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational tournament, where the winner received a new GV80.
The car he was driving was likely part of a promotional fleet of vehicles owned by the event sponsor.
According to , obtained by The Sun, was trapped in the vehicle which was "off the side of the road."
Footage from the scene showed a car on its side with the front of the vehicle crushed.
It appeared to have crashed in a grassy area, not on a road and , according to , and the air bags were deployed.
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Cops speaking on Fox News said that deputies arrived at the scene within six minutes and found the vehicle overturned in shrubs.
The spokesperson also believed that a resident heard the collision and alerted the .
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Fire Department told that a second crash took place when a vehicle apparently stopped to help Woods.
However, the incident was reportedly very minor and no one was hurt.
The star's agent, Mark Steinberg, said in a statement: " was in a single-car accident this morning in where he suffered multiple leg injuries.
"He is currently in surgery and we thank you for your privacy and support."
Woods was in the area for the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at the Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades before the incident happened.
Earlier this week, he posed for pictures with stars such as David Spade and Dwyane Wade.
Spade uploaded the photograph onto Twitter, with the caption: "Golf lesson with this guy today. And you know what? He’s not bad… He picks things up very quickly. Good listener."
He also made his first public appearance on Sunday after undergoing back surgery in January.
The star underwent a procedure called a microdiscectomy, which was his fifth back surgery, to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching a nerve.
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Woods provided an update about his condition with CBS Sports during the final round of the Genesis Invitational.
"I'm feeling fine, little bit stiff," Woods said. "Have one more MRI scheduled to see if the annulus has scarred over finally, and then I can start doing more activities.
"Still in the gym, still doing the mundane stuff that you have to do for rehab, the little things before you can start gravitating towards something a little more."
When being asked what he has done golf-wise since undergoing the major surgery, Woods joked "I've lengthened my putter."
"I don't have to bend over as far. I've gone to the same length as my sand wedge."
He , as golfers and fans pointed out on Twitter.
Following the news of the crash, several celebrities rushed to social media to send their well wishes to the star.
, who golfed with Woods multiple times while he was in office, predicted: "He's gonna be back, I have no doubt about it. He’s gonna be back."
Trump added that Woods has "overcome a lot" and will "continue to have an incredible life."
“But now he’ll recover from this. It’s pretty bad on the legs, I understand," on Fox News.
"He’ll figure out a way. He’s a wonderful person.”
Trump's adviser, Jason Miller, earlier revealed that the former president made the following statement: "Get well soon, Tiger. You are a true champion!"
Ex-President on Tuesday night that he was sending prayers to Woods and his family.
"Here’s to a speedy recovery for the GOAT of golf," Obama wrote. "If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s to never count Tiger out."
, a former American baseball player best known as also known as A-Rod, also took to Twitter after news broke about Woods' accident.
He : "Praying for my brother @TigerWoods as we all anxiously await more news. Thinking of him and his entire family."
Speaking just minutes before a press conference, American professional golfer Justin Thomas said he was "sick to his stomach" after learning about the crash.
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"It hurts to see one of my closest friends get in an accident and I just hope he's alright," Thomas told .
"I'm just worried for his kids, you know. I'm sure they're struggling."
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith, who was with Woods just one day before the crash, said: "Prayers up for the GOAT @TigerWoods who was in an accident this morning. Was just with him yesterday.
"Don’t take not even a MOMENT for granted! I know you’re good because your Tiger within is a beast!!!"
Woods' ex-lovers over his accident.
Uchitel, one of Woods' alleged mistresses, said she was "shaken up" and really worried because "he’s already had trouble with his body up until this point."
Vonn, who dated Woods for nearly three years until they mutually broke up in 2015, tweeted, "Praying for TW right now."
This is the third time Woods has been involved in a car investigation.
The most notorious was the early morning after in 2009, when his SUV ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree.
Woods lost major corporate sponsorship, went to a rehabilitation clinic in and did not return to golf for five months.
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In May 2017, police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car parked awkwardly on the side of the road.
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He was arrested on a DUI charge and said later he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medicine his back pain.
Woods later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic to get help with prescription medication and a sleep disorder.
CCTV of Tiger Woods driving minutes before horror crash that left him in hospital
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