Tiger Woods was charged with driving under the influence, criminal damage to property and refusing to submit to a legal test after a car accident in Florida.
The 15-time major champion was sent to prison after his car overturned after colliding with a tractor-trailer he was trying to overtake.
Sheriff John Budensiek of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office in Florida told reporters that Woods showed “signs of impairment” after the incident in Florida. The incident occurred just after 2pm local time on Friday in the same town where Mr Woods lives.
Woods stands next to his overturned car on Jupiter Island, Florida. (AP Photo/Jason Oteri)
Budensiek said Woods was given a field sobriety test and the results were negative, but he refused to provide a urine sample.
He is also charged with criminal damage to property and refusing to submit to legal inspection. No injuries were reported.
Photos from the scene showed the vehicle lying on its side on the driver’s side.
Image credit: WPTV
Credit: WPTV
“DUI investigators came to the scene and Mr. Woods did show signs of impairment,” Budensiek said.
“They did some tests on him. He described any injuries and surgeries he had had and we took that into account, but they did some detailed tests on the road.
“When that was discovered, he was arrested and taken to the Martin County Jail.
“At no time at the Martin County Jail or at the scene did we suspect that alcohol was involved in this incident, and that turned out to be true.
“Mr. Woods was given a breathalyzer test with triple zero, but when we asked for a urine test, he refused, so he was charged with driving under the influence, criminal damage to property, and refusing to submit to a legal test.”
Budensiek added that Woods was driving at a “high rate of speed” and his car tilted to the side and “slided a significant distance before coming to a stop.”
The speed limit on the road in question was 30 mph.
When investigators arrived, Woods appeared “lethargic” at the scene, and police believe he was “impaired due to medication.”
He will be held for at least eight hours before being released on bail. A crime is not a serious crime.
The driver of the other vehicle was also not injured.
Woods’ past car accidents
Woods has been involved in three car accidents in the past.
Personal scandal (November 2009)
Woods’ meteoric rise to stardom was just as spectacular. His personal life changed dramatically after he crashed his car into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his home in Windermere, Florida. He later admitted to having a serial affair and was forced to step away from the game to undergo therapy and deal with his personal humiliation.
Drunk Driving (May 2017)
Just weeks after his spinal surgery, Woods was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after he was found asleep behind the wheel of a car in Jupiter, Florida. He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving. At the time, he was found to have five different prescription drugs in his system and was placed on probation for 11 months. Upon his return in November 2017, Woods revealed the depth of his physical struggles. “I was in bed for about two years and couldn’t do much,” Woods said.
Serious traffic accident (February 2021)
Woods suffered leg and ankle injuries that required multiple surgeries after a rollover accident in Los Angeles. Firefighters had to use a ‘claw of life’ cutting device to remove a man from the wreckage of his vehicle after he lost control while driving at high speed on a winding road. He was unable to play competitive golf again for 15 months and has suffered numerous health issues and injuries since then.
Weir: A damaging day for Woods
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Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir shares details after Tiger Woods was arrested and charged with drink-driving after his car crashed in Florida.
In an interview with Sky Sports News, golf correspondent Jamie Weir said: “What’s the biggest impact of this? I think the answer is the reputational damage to Tiger Woods. It’s very embarrassing that there are questions about what happened to this man who was arrested for drink driving, spent eight hours in a Florida jail and refused to take a urine test.”
“This is the third time he has been involved in a car accident and this one reminds me of 2017.
“Many people think his bank account is healthy enough, but he is putting himself and, most importantly, other road users and pedestrians at risk, so he definitely can afford to have a driver take his place.
“Today is another day that will negatively impact Woods’ reputation.”
Woods working towards competitive activities
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Woods has been working toward a return to competitive golf since tearing his Achilles tendon in March 2025 and undergoing hip surgery last October.
He competed in Tuesday’s TGL finals for the first time in over a year, but his Jupiter Links GC team lost to Los Angeles Golf Club. He had not yet decided whether he would participate in the Masters, which will be held from April 9th to 12th.
Woods has played a limited schedule since he was involved in a car accident in Southern California in February 2021, in which his car rolled over several times and he was trapped inside.
The great golfer later underwent surgery for an open fracture in his lower right leg, with a rod inserted in his tibia and emergency surgery with screws and pins inserted in his foot and ankle.
Woods later said doctors considered amputation.
After the accident, Woods began three months of rehabilitation at home in a hospital bed.
He underwent at least one more surgery related to injuries from the April 2023 accident.
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In 2017, Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Jupiter, Florida.
He was asleep and “had to be woken up,” according to an incident report from the time. Woods was later released on his own recognizance.
Woods released a statement after the incident apologizing to his family, friends and fans.
Trump says he’s ‘very sorry’ for Woods
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Donald Trump says he feels “very sick” after hearing about Tiger Woods’ accident
Donald Trump said he felt “very sick” after hearing about Woods’ recent accident.
The US president praised the 50-year-old as “a very close friend of mine” but said he did not want to discuss the clash.
“I feel so bad,” he said. “He’s in some trouble. There was an accident, that’s all I know.
“He’s a very close friend of mine, he’s a great guy.
“He’s a great guy. But there are some difficulties. I don’t want to talk about them.”
On Thursday, President Trump insisted that Woods would not play in the Masters but would watch it, even though Woods had said days earlier that he would do everything in his power to play in the Masters, for which he is eligible for a lifetime.
Woods, 50, is battling to return to competitive golf for the first time since the British Open in summer 2024 after recovering from back surgery last October, months after tearing his Achilles tendon.
“I love Tiger, but he won’t be there. He’ll be there, but he won’t be in the game,” Trump said on Fox News’ “The Five.”
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Trump previously claimed that Woods would not play in the Masters but planned to watch it.
The five-time Masters champion indicated he remains hopeful of competing, saying he is “trying” to compete despite ongoing physical problems.
“I’ve been working hard, but this body just doesn’t recover like it did when I was 24, 25 years old,” Woods said.
“That doesn’t mean I’m not trying. I’ve been trying for a while.”
From 2000 to 2001, Woods became the only player to win all four majors consecutively.
Woods last won a major at the 2019 Masters.
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