Tiger Woods Update: Crash Caused By Unsafe Speed, How Fast The Golfer Was Driving

The single-car crash that put Tiger Woods in the hospital for several weeks was caused by driving at an unsafe speed, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. There were no signs that Woods was impaired while driving and no citations were issued.

L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva held a news conference at 1 p.m. ET to address the cause of the accident.

“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,” Villanueva said. “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.”

Sheriff’s Capt. James Powers said it is speculated that Woods accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal.

Villanueva said last week the investigation into the accident had been completed. Woods granted the sheriff’s department permission to release the details of their findings.

The sheriff’s department didn’t get a warrant for Woods’ phone records to see if the golfer had been using his cellphone during the crash. No warrant for Woods’ blood samples was sought.

On the same day of the Feb. 23 crash, Woods underwent emergency surgery on his right leg. The 45-year-old sustained serious lower-body injuries. Woods announced on March 16 that he had returned home from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. to continue his recovery.

PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy told reporters Tuesday that he visited Woods on March 21, noting that the 15-time major champion was in “decent spirits.”

“When you hear of these things and you look at the car and you see the crash, you think he's going to be in a hospital bed for six months,” McIlroy said. “But he was actually doing better than that.”

Woods won’t participate in the Masters this week, and it’s unknown if he’ll ever be able to compete on the PGA Tour again.