Los Angeles: Tiger Woods was seriously injured when his SUV crashed into a median, rolled over and ended up on its side near a steep road in suburban Los Angeles known for wrecks, authorities said.
The golf superstar had to be pulled out through the windshield, and his agent said he underwent leg surgery.
Woods was alone in the SUV on Tuesday when it crashed into a raised median, crossed two oncoming lanes and rolled several times, authorities said at a news conference.
No other cars were involved. The 45-year-old was alert and able to communicate as firefighters pried open the front windshield to get him out.
The airbags went off and the inside of the vehicle stayed basically intact, and that “gave him a cushion to survive the crash,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said. Both of his legs were seriously injured, county Fire Chief Daryl Osby said.
They said there was no immediate evidence that Woods was impaired.
Authorities said they checked for any odour of alcohol or other signs he was under the influence of a substance and found none. They didn”t say how fast he was driving.
The crash happened on a sweeping, downhill stretch of a two-lane road through upscale Los Angeles suburbs.
Sheriff”s Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, who was the first to get to the wreck, said he sometimes catches people topping 80 mph in the 45 mph zone and crashes are common.
