Tiger Woods' Crash: Few Details, Much Speculation
Sunday, Nov. 29, 9 a.m. ET: As you'll see, this post has been updated several times since it was first published on Saturday. The latest news is that Florida Highway Patrol investigators hope to be able to speak to golfer Tiger Woods and his wife Elin today. They're still trying to pin down exactly what happened early Friday morning when a car Woods was driving struck a fire hydrant and a tree outside his Florida home. You can read through to see how the story has developed.
More will surely be known in coming days about the circumstances surrounding golfer Tiger Woods' car accident outside his home in the early morning hours Friday.
For now, while police say they're still investigating, they also report that alcohol was not involved. The Orlando Sentinel has posted a copy of the brief press release that the Florida Highway Patrol has released. The box beside the question "Alcohol Related?" is filled in with a "No".
The release then states that:
V1 DRIVER HAD JUST PULLED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AT HIS RESIDENCE, LOCATED AT 6348 DEACON CIRCLE. AS V1 BEGAN TO DRIVE ON DEACON CIRCLE, V1 STRUCK A FIRE HYDRANT. THE FRONT OF V1 THEN STRUCK A TREE LOCATED AT 6342 DEACON CIRCLE. THE DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED TO HEALTH CENTRAL HOSPITAL. THE CRASH REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION AND CHARGES ARE PENDING.
"V1" is short for "vehicle one."
The Sentinel also writes that police say Woods' wife Elin told them she used a golf club to smash a window of the vehicle before pulling him from the vehicle. According to the newspaper:
By the time a Windermere police officer arrived about 2:25 a.m., Elin Nordegren Woods had dragged her husband out of his 2009 Cadillac Escalade. He was lying on the ground, dazed and bleeding from his lips and with blood in his mouth, Windermere Mayor Gary Bruhn said.
The crash knocked Tiger Woods, 33, unconscious for about six minutes, according to a call report compiled by the Orange County Sheriff's Office and obtained by the Orlando Sentinel. Bruhn said the golfer faded in and out of consciousness.
The newspaper adds that Windermere police Chief Daniel Saylor "said his responding officers did not hear anything about an alleged argument between Woods and his wife."
Authorities are scheduled to interview Woods -- who reportedly was not coherent at the accident scene -- later today.
Update at 8 a.m. ET, Nov. 29: The word from Florida this morning is that Woods' agent told authorities that the golfer and his wife couldn't seem them Saturday. So, Florida Highway Patrol investigators now hope to interview the couple today. Also later today, authorities say, they may release the 911 calls made after the incident.
The Sentinel writes that, according to a Highway Patrol spokeswoman, "Woods is not obligated to speak to investigators -- only to provide his drivers license, registration and proof of insurance."
Note: We've also updated the headline on this post, which originally read "Police Report About Tiger Woods' Crash Says Alcohol Was Not Involved."
Update at 5 p.m. ET. According to the Associated Press, two Florida Highway Patrol vehicles have entered the gated community where Woods lives, so it's possible that authorities are speaking with the couple about what happened.
The wire service adds that:
Woods' $2.4 million home is part of an exclusive subdivision near Orlando, a community set on an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course and a chain of small lakes. The neighborhood, which is fortified with high brick walls and has its own security force, is home to CEOs and other sports stars such as the NBA's Shaquille O'Neal.
It may be several days before the investigation is complete, authorities say.
Update at 2 p.m. ET. The AP now reports that:
Authorities say they won't speculate on what happened before Tiger Woods crashed his luxury SUV, and they expect to release 911 tapes from the accident Sunday. Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes said Saturday that investigators are only looking into the incident as a traffic crash. She says investigators are "trying not to get on the rumor mill."
Update at 1:35 p.m. ET:
I've tweaked the post above. I had written that Wood had been pulled "to safety" by his wife, she says. Since the accident happened at a low speed and the Escalade's airbags didn't deploy, I thought in retrospect that the phrase about being pulled to safety assumes more than we know at this time. So I've changed it to a neutral "pulling him from the vehicle."
Meanwhile, there's a media stakeout underway at gated community where the Woods live. Elin Nordegren Woods, the Daily News reports, has been seen driving in and out today. She did not stop to speak to any of the reporters.