Tiger Woods Was Going 80 MPH in 45 MPH Zone When He Crashed
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office has released the cause of Tiger Woods' car crash on February 23.
"The primary causal factor for this traffic collision was driving at a speed unsafe for the road conditions and the inability to negotiate the curve of the roadway. Estimated speeds at the first area of impact were 84 to 87 miles per hour and the final estimated speed when the vehicle struck the tree was 75 miles per hour," Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said during a press conference on Wednesday.
"There were no citations issued and there were no signs of impairment," he added.
Woods was driving in the area of Rolling Hills Estates in Los Angeles, California, when the crash occurred. The speed limit in the area where the crash took place is 45 mph, but during the press conference, Villanueva said that he has pulled vehicles over for driving at speed limits exceeding 80 mph.
Shortly after Villanueva's comments, Captain James Powers spoke during the press conference and explained that investigators examined the vehicle's data recorder and found that "speeds ranged from 82.02 miles per hour to 86.99 miles per hour and back down to 68.35 miles per hour."
According to Powers, the data recorder also showed pressure placed on the vehicle's accelerator. "This measurement was at 99 percent at all the areas of impact of the collision," he said.
"The data recorder also recorded braking. There was no evidence of braking throughout this collision," Powers added. "It is speculated and believed that Tiger Woods inadvertently hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal, causing that 99-percent rating on the accelerator pedal."
Powers added, "There were no independent witnesses at this collision and the primary cause was driving at a speed unsafe for the road conditions and the inability to negotiate the curve of the roadway."
According to the Associated Press, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, who was the first officer to respond to the crash, said, "That specific stretch of roadway is one of our trouble spots...Our locals in Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates know that it's a hotspot for traffic collisions, as well as speed."
Shortly after the crash on February 23, Woods was hospitalized and received surgery for the injuries he suffered to his legs in the crash.
In a statement posted to Twitter on March 16, Woods wrote, "Happy to report that I am back home and continuing my recovery. I am so grateful for the outpouring of support and encouragement that I have received over the past few weeks."
His statement continued: "I will be recovering at home and working on getting stronger every day."
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office directed Newsweek to the press conference held today after reaching out for comment.
