Tiger Woods is currently hospitalized after being involved in a “single vehicle rollover” crash in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. on Tuesday, according to law enforcement.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters at an afternoon briefing that Woods is “lucky to be alive.”
The professional golfer, 45, had to be cut from the wreckage of the mangled Genesis GV80 SUV he was driving.
“We used a Halligan tool, which is a tool used for prying, and we also used an ax to pry him from the vehicle. He was taken from the vehicle with a collar and backboard for spinal precautions,” said L.A. County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby.
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Sheriff’s officials had earlier released a statement saying Woods was freed from the vehicle using the “jaws of life,” but the fire department later clarified. Woods was transported by ambulance to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in nearby Carson.
“Tiger Woods was in a single-car accident this morning in California where he suffered multiple leg injuries,” his agent Mark Steinberg said in a statement to the media.
Dr. Anish Mahajan, chief medical officer and interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, told reporters Woods “suffered significant orthopaedic injuries” to his lower right leg and foot.
A rod was inserted to stabilize his tibia and femur and a “combination of screws and pins” were added to stabilize the bones of the foot and ankle read a statement posted on Woods’ official Twitter account said.
Aerial footage from the scene showed the golfer’s vehicle landed on its side after it rolled down an embankment.
“Deputies at the time, they did not see any evidence of impairment,” Sheriff Villanueva said, meaning drugs or alcohol did not appear to be factors in the crash.
The accident occurred just after 7 a.m., and the sheriff said weather was not a factor because it was sunny and clear.
Villanueva added that Woods was traveling at a “relatively greater speed than normal, descending down a hill.”
There are frequently accidents along the stretch of road where the crash happened, the sheriff noted. However, a full investigation will be conducted to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Authorities have so far not issued a citation for Woods, because it would require evidence that he had committed multiple violations before the crash, such as unsafe lane changes, or passing other cars unsafely.
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