New York, March 28 (IANS) Golf legend Tiger Woods was released from a Florida jail on Saturday morning after he was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence (DUI) and was involved in a rollover crash near his home in Florida.
According to reports, the 50-year-old was spotted slumped in the front seat of a black Cadillac that chauffeured him out of the Martin County lockup about eight hours after he was arrested following the rollover crash in his hometown of Jupiter Island.
Woods spent at least eight hours behind bars as required by Florida law, but was allowed to leave despite police insisting he wouldn’t get special treatment. He left through the back door of the lockup, trying to avoid the swarm of photographers and journalists that had gathered at the jailhouse for him.
Initial reports quoted Martin County Police as saying that Woods appeared under the influence of “some type of medication or drug” when he flipped his Land Rover while trying to speed around a flatbed truck around 2 p.m.
According to local authorities, the 50-year-old Woods displayed signs of “impairment” after his arrest. The Martin County police released a mugshot of Woods in the evening, in which his eyes appeared bloodshot. The winner of multiple PGA titles was taken to the Martin County jail in Florida.
According to reports, authorities ruled out the influence of alcohol, though Woods refused a urinalysis.
Martin County sheriff John Budensiek told reporters that the golfer was driving a Land Rover that overturned after attempting to overtake a truck on a narrow two-lane road shortly before 2 pm near Woods’s residence on Jupiter Island. The vehicle clipped a trailer, veered off, and came to rest on its driver’s side after sliding along the roadway.
“DUI investigators came to the scene here, and Mr. Woods did exhibit signs of impairment. They did several tests on him. Of course, he did explain the injuries and the surgeries that he had. We did take that into account, but they did do some in-depth roadside tests,” Budensiek added.
“We really weren’t suspicious of alcohol being involved in this case, and that proved to be true at the jail. … But when it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused. And, so, he’s been charged with DUI, with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test,” he added.
This was at least the third time Woods has been involved in a car crash, most recently in February 2021, when his SUV ran off a coastal road in Los Angeles at a high rate of speed, leading to multiple leg and ankle injuries. Woods said later, doctors considered amputation.
Woods has played 11 tournaments since that 2021 crash, not finishing closer than within 16 shots of the winner the four times he finished 72 holes.
Meanwhile, on Friday, social media started buzzing over Woods’ arrest, with some people reacting with concern while others responded with memes over the fallen hero’s plight.
“Tiger in the Woods again,” quipped a netizen on X, formerly Twitter.
“Tiger Woods doesn’t know how to drive in bounds anymore,” said another social media user.
–IANS
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