LOS ANGELES — Golf legend Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a one-car accident in Southern California, police has confirmed.
The accident occurred at 7:12 a.m. PST when Woods was traveling on Hawthorne Boulevard at Blackhorse road when the car crashed and sustained “major damage,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, confirming Woods was conscious when he was removed from the car.
“Thankfully the interior was more or less in tact, which gave him the cushion to survive,” Villanueva said. “Otherwise, it would have been a fatal crash.”
Woods suffered serious injuries to both legs and was in surgery for multiple leg injuries, his agent, Mark Steinberg, confirmed in a statement.
The Los Angeles police said Woods’ car traveled several hundred yards from the center median, hit a curb, hit a tree, and rolled over multiple times. Officials confirmed Woods was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and suffered “non-life-threatening” injuries.
Deputy Carlos Gonzalez told reporters that Woods was not able to stand on his own but was able to identify himself and his location.
“When I arrived on the scene, Mr. Woods was seated in the driver’s seat,” Gonzalez said. “I made contact with him. I ensured that he was able to speak to me. At that time, it seemed as though he was still calm and lucid. I made the determination it would be safer to wait for L.A. County and Fire to help remove him instead of try to remove him myself. I kept Mr. Woods calm until L.A. County and Fire arrived on the scene.”
Woods was seen with NBA legend Dwyane Wade and actor David Space on the golf course Monday afternoon. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith also posted a photo with the golfer Monday to her social media accounts.
