Tiger Woods was going as fast as 87 mph in the California crash that nearly killed him — and smashed into a tree that sent him airborne at 75 mph, officials said Wednesday as they revealed more details about the February wreck.
Still, the golf great will not face citations or charges for speeding in the 45 mph zone, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at a press conference.
“The inference that somehow it’s special [treatment] is false,” Villanueva insisted.
Woods clocked between 82.02 mph and 86.99 mph in his loaned Genesis GV80 during the Feb. 23 crash in Rolling Hills Estates — and the data recorder inside the SUV showed zero evidence of any braking.
“The cause of the collision was the speed and inability to maintain the roadway,” said LA Sheriff’s Office Capt. James Powers.
Powers addressed speculation that the athlete accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake as he zoomed down the winding Hawthorne Boulevard — but the captain couldn’t say for sure if that happened.
“We don’t know that — he doesn’t have any recollection of the incident and like I said that’s a speculation,” Powers said.
He said the data recorder picked up “99 percent” acceleration on the pedal and no braking that day.
Woods’ steering also varied from -10 degrees to 55 degrees — on a 360-degree scale — indicating that he may have been trying to “correct” his course on the road, though the movement could’ve also been from the impact itself, Powers explained.
Asked what Woods told investigators about the moments leading up to the wreck, Powers said, “The only statement I recall is he had a long day the day prior.”
The 45-year-old suffered severe injuries after the SUV struck a raised median, crossed through two oncoming lanes and uprooted a tree on a dangerous downhill stretch.
Villanueva said he was releasing information about the crash with the blessing of Woods and his team.
On Wednesday, Villanueva defended his agency’s investigation of the crash, saying Woods didn’t receive special treatment. He said there was no probable cause to test Woods’ sobriety at the time.
“There were no signs of impairment,” the sheriff told reporters.
Investigators also did not check to see if Woods was texting at the time of the crash, Powers said.
A witness who was first on the scene just outside Los Angeles said he found Woods unconscious in his mangled SUV. But a sheriff’s deputy said the athlete later appeared to be “calm and lucid” and able to answer basic questions.
“He was kind of dazed and confused, being in a state of shock,” Powers said Wednesday of Woods’ state when authorities found him.
Investigators did not seek to collect blood samples from Woods to screen for drugs and alcohol. In 2017, Woods checked himself into a clinic for help dealing with prescription drugs after a DUI charge in his home state of Florida.
Workers collect debris beside a vehicle after a rollover accident involving golfer Tiger Woods.
Detectives, however, did obtain a search warrant for the data recorder of the vehicle, known as a black box.
Woods was hospitalized with serious injuries due to the crash, which occurred around 7 a.m. in Rolling Hills Estates. The golf star struck a raised median and his vehicle crossed through two oncoming lanes and uprooted a tree on a downhill stretch that police said is known for wrecks.
He is in Florida recovering from multiple surgeries on his legs.
The vehicle driven by golfer Tiger Woods lies on its side in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
