LOS ANGELES, California – Tiger Woods was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Thursday to continue recovering from a horrific SUV rollover accident in Rancho Palos Verdes that seriously injured his right leg and ankle.
Dr. Anish Mahajan, Acting Executive Director and Medical Director of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where Woods was initially being treated, issued a statement Thursday saying the famous golfer was transferred to Cedars-Sinai “to continue orthopedic care and the recuperation”.
“To respect patient confidentiality, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center will not provide further information regarding patient care,” said Mahajan. “On behalf of our staff, it was an honor to provide orthopedic trauma care to one of the best athletes of our generation. ”
Woods was transported to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center following Tuesday’s 7:12 am rollover accident at Hawthorne Boulevard and Blackhorse Road.
Mahajan said later that night that Woods had “comminuted open” fractures, meaning that there were multiple fractures that left the bone exposed to the open air, in the upper and lower part of “the upper and lower parts of the tibia and fibula. .. ”
“The fractures were stabilized ‘by inserting a rod into the tibia,'” Mahajan said. “Additional injuries to the foot and ankle bones were stabilized with a combination of screws and pins. Trauma to the muscles and soft tissues of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to the swelling”.
According to the statement, Woods was “awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room.”
“We thank everyone for the overwhelming support and messages during this difficult time,” the statement added. ” … Thank you to the wonderful doctors and hospital staff at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fire Department. Their support and assistance has been outstanding. ”
According to Sheriff Alex Villanueva, Woods, 45, was driving north on a curving, downhill stretch of highway in a 2021 Hyundai Genesis SUV when the vehicle hit the center median, actually colliding with a “Welcome to Rolling Hills Estates “sign – and ran through the southbound lanes, dodging a tree and rolling, coming to rest sideways along an embankment about 30 yards from the western edge of the road.
Rescuers used a crowbar and an ax to pull Woods out of the vehicle. The first deputy sheriff on the scene, Carlos Gonzalez, said Woods was conscious and lucid, still buckled in the driver’s seat.
“Mr. Woods was sitting in the driver’s seat. I contacted him and made sure he could speak to me. At the time it seemed that he was still calm and lucid … calm until L.A. County fire arrived on the scene, ” González said. González said he asked the driver, who was wearing a seatbelt, his name.
“He told me his name was Tiger, and at that moment I recognized him immediately, ” Gonzalez said.” I asked him if he knew where he was and what time of day just to make sure he was oriented. He seemed to be lucid and calm. Famous golfer Tiger Woods was rushed to a hospital after a spectacular car accident in Los Angeles, authorities said Tuesday.
“It is a traumatic experience. So it is not uncommon for people to focus on unimportant things, or even if they feel pain, they may not feel it until much later.”
González said he was carrying a body camera that was turned on according to department policy during his contact with Woods.
“The nature of his vehicle, the fact that he was wearing a seat belt, I would say that it greatly increased the likelihood that it saved his life,” Gonzalez said.
The speed limit in the area is 45 mph, but Gonzalez said he has seen motorists traveling at 80 mph on the stretch.
Villaneuva said that the area where the accident occurred has been the scene of 13 accidents, four of them with injuries, since January last year. Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn ordered county Public Works officials Wednesday to conduct a road safety review to see if improvements can be made.
The investigation into the accident continues, but Villanueva said Woods will not face any criminal charges.
“We are not looking at any charges at all in this accident,” he said Wednesday. “This is still an accident. An accident is not a crime. They happen unfortunately. Villaneuva reiterated that there is no indication that Woods was affected in any way, saying: “He was lucid, there was no smell of alcohol, there was no evidence of any drugs, narcotics or anything like that to question him.” The sheriff said there are also no indications to suggest a reckless driving charge.
“This is purely an accident,” he said. “There will be a cause, and there will be a vehicle code attached to the cause, if it is distracted driving, whatever the case may be. But that is a violation, and reckless driving is actually more than a violation. That is a crime. minor that has many associated elements, and there is none of that. ”
The badly damaged SUV, a courtesy car from the Genesis Invitational golf tournament that Woods hosted last weekend at The Riviera Country Club, was taken by truck to a depot in Lomita for a closer examination.
Investigators were expected to remove a “black box” from the vehicle in hopes of obtaining information on the conditions at the time of the accident, including how fast Woods was driving. There was no immediate word on whether Woods was distracted, possibly by a cell phone.
“We don’t have any information about it,” Villanueva said Wednesday. “We’ll find out. I’m sure their phone records could be relevant to that. And that’s up to the investigators, and for that they would require a search warrant.” Following Sunday’s conclusion of the Genesis Invitational, Woods had stayed in Southland to participate in a two-day promotional session with Golf Digest and Golf TV at Rolling Hills Country Club, where he was believed to be heading on Tuesday morning for another day. filming.
What’s so special about these articles from the Lakers legend? ESPN reported that Woods was scheduled to film Tuesday with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
Woods was photographed on the field Monday with retired NBA star Dwyane Wade and comedian David Spade. Woods, a Cypress native who has struggled with back problems in recent years, last competed in a golf tournament on December 20 at the PNC Championship in Orlando.
He subsequently underwent surgery to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching a nerve, his first surgery since undergoing a spinal fusion in April 2017. Woods returned from that operation to win the 2019 Masters, his 15th major title, second only to Nicklaus’ 18. But it is still unknown whether he will be able to recover from the serious leg injuries sustained Tuesday and golf.
On Sunday, Woods told CBS’s Jim Nantz that he was scheduled to have an MRI and would await the results to determine when he could begin training to return to competition.
Woods has been involved in two other high-profile car incidents. In November 2009, he crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant outside his Florida home and sustained minor injuries. In 2017, he was found asleep in a vehicle in Jupiter, Florida, and it was discovered that he had multiple pain relievers and sleep aids in his system. Later he entered an entertainment program.