Tiger Woods has been arrested on charges of driving under the influence after rolling his car in a crash in Florida, authorities have confirmed.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said the 15-time major champion had also been charged with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
Woods, 50, rolled his Land Rover after clipping a truck in Jupiter Island on Friday afternoon, according to Sheriff John Budensiek, who added that officers had not suspected the golfing legend of impairment by alcohol but possibly by an unknown substance.
The golfer, who had to crawl out of the passenger door, passed a breathalyser test after the crash but refused a urine test. No one was injured.
Tiger Woods’ car is seen on its side and skid marks show where he crashed and lost control
Authorities released images of the crash, showing skid marks on the road where Woods appeared to lose control of his vehicle and rolled it over
Sheriff Budensiek told reporters at a news conference that the crash had happened after Woods allegedly attempted to overtake a pressure cleaner truck at a ‘high rate of speed’.
DUI investigators came to the scene and ‘Mr Woods did exemplify signs of impairment’, the sheriff said.
‘They did several tests on him’, Budensiek told reporters. ‘He did explain the injuries and surgeries that he’s had and we did take that into account, but they did some in-depth roadside tests’.
He was placed under arrest after the incident, which took place on Beach Road in Jupiter Island just before 14:00 (19:00 GMT) on Friday.
The sheriff explained that investigators at the scene and jail were ‘really not suspicious of alcohol being involved’ and Woods ultimately passed a breathalyser test with ‘triple zeros’. But, he added, Woods then refused a urine test.
Budensiek also said Woods had been ‘co-operative but was trying not to incriminate himself’.
‘He has a right to refuse that test’, added the sheriff. ‘There is a statute which he will be charged with for refusing to take that test, but we will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on at the time of the crash’.
US President Donald Trump was asked about the crash on Friday, saying: ‘I feel so badly. [Woods has] got some difficulty. There was an accident. That’s all I know.
‘He’s a very close friend of mine, he’s an amazing person, an amazing man’.
Sheriff Budensiek said Woods would remain in jail for eight hours then be released on bond. The charges are misdemeanours, not felonies.
