Jupiter Island, Florida: Tiger Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Friday after his Land Rover rolled over on Jupiter Island, Florida, just after 2 p.m., according to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek, who addressed media at the scene.
Jupiter Island Police Department responded first to the crash near 281 Beach Road, close to Woods’ residence, and found a pickup truck attached to a pressure cleaning trailer and a dark SUV rolled onto its driver’s side. Jupiter Island PD then called the Martin County Sheriff’s Office to assume the investigation.
Budensiek said the investigation determined that the pressure-cleaning truck was northbound and turning into a driveway when the driver saw a dark SUV overtake him at high speed in his rearview mirror. The truck driver attempted to move out of the way but had no room to clear the road. Woods’ vehicle clipped the rear of the truck and rolled over.
Woods was able to crawl out of the passenger door of the Land Rover and was not physically injured, Budensiek said. When deputies arrived and made contact with Woods, investigators observed what they described as signs of impairment.
“Our DUI investigators came to the scene here, and Mr. Woods did exemplify signs of impairment,” Budensiek said. “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 testing, and when it was determined, he was placed under arrest and taken to the Martin County Jail.”
According to multiple reports, Woods complied with a breathalyzer test but refused a urine test. He faces misdemeanor charges in Martin County.
No other injuries were reported at the scene.
This marks the second DUI-related arrest for Woods. In 2017, he was arrested in Palm Beach County on suspicion of driving under the influence. He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving, paid a $250 fine, and completed DUI school. In February 2021, he was seriously injured in a separate rollover crash in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, which shattered his right leg and ankle and, by his own account, came close to resulting in an amputation.
Woods, 50, had returned to competitive golf just days earlier, competing in the TGL Finals in Palm Beach Gardens on Tuesday after recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon and a seventh back surgery performed last fall. His team, Jupiter Links Golf Club, lost the final 9-2. Following that appearance, he expressed uncertainty about whether his body would allow him to compete in the Masters, which begins April 9 at Augusta National.
