April 8 (UPI) — The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday that excessive speed was the chief cause of the wreck that injured pro golf star Tiger Woods in February.
The department announced its findings at a news conference late Wednesday morning.
Officials said speeds ranged from 82 and 89 mph in the seconds before the crash, and there was no evidence of braking during that time. The speed limit on the road Woods was driving was 45 mph.
The conclusions were based on what investigators found and the data recorder from Woods’ vehicle.
“The primary cause was driving at a speed unsafe for the road conditions,” Capt. James Powers told reporters.
Woods released a statement later Wednesday acknowledging the conclusion of the investigation. He offered his thanks to two good Samaritans who helped him after the crash, along with Los Angeles-area law enforcement and emergency officials.
“I will continue to focus on my recovery and family, and thank everyone for the overwhelming support and encouragement I’ve received throughout this very difficult time,” he tweeted.
Woods, 45, crashed his sport-utility vehicle on Feb. 23 after he ran off a road in suburban Los Angeles. No other vehicles were involved.
Woods received multiple open fractures on his lower right leg and later required a rod to be implanted in his tibia. He also had stabilizing screws and pins placed in his foot and ankle.
Woods was treated at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles before his release in mid-March.
Officials said Wednesday that deputies saw no signs that Woods was impaired at the crash scene, but investigators later secured a search warrant to gather evidence from the vehicle’s data recorder.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva previously said he could not release the findings of the department’s crash investigation without Woods’ approval.
“There’s some privacy issues on releasing information on the investigation,” Villanueva said last week.
