The world held its breath Tuesday for news on the status of Tiger Woods after the golf legend was seriously injured in a car crash near Los Angeles.
Woods, 45, was conscious and alert when emergency services removed him from his vehicle, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.
This is what we know so far about the accident:
What caused the accident?
Tiger Woods’ vehicle rests on its side after Tuesday’s rollover.
Traffic investigators could take days or weeks to determine the cause of the accident while investigating whether speed, fatigue or driver error were factors, or whether Woods hit something on the road, causing him to lose control, said Lt. Michael White of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.
Woods was driving shortly after 7 a.m. Pacific Time in Rancho Palos Verdes when the truck he was traveling in crossed a median and two lanes of highway before hitting a sidewalk, crashing into a tree, and landing sideways on the road. off-road weed. No other vehicle was involved.
A rescue team had to pry Woods out of his vehicle with a crowbar and ax, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby.
Woods was driving down a winding road in an area known as a speeding and crash hotspot, Villanueva and Deputy Sheriff Carlos Gonzalez said.
Weather was not a factor in the accident, authorities said at a news conference Tuesday. There was no evidence of disability, but the accident is under investigation, authorities said.
When asked at the press conference if Woods may have been on the phone at the time, Villanueva said investigators will have to determine whether distracted driving played a role.
What is the status of Tiger Woods’ injuries?
Woods was transported by ambulance to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in serious condition and with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Woods suffered compound fractures to his legs, a source told Citizen Free Press. Osby said Woods’ legs were splinted at the scene.
A compound fracture “is an open fracture, and the bone actually sticks out of the skin, something that would have been noticed at the time of injury and something that obviously needs to be treated quickly,” said CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
“He was able to communicate and he was conscious,” Villanueva said.
Gonzalez, the first to arrive at the scene, said he kept Woods talking until firefighters arrived.
Woods had to undergo surgery after the accident, according to Golf Digest, which cited a statement from Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg.
What kind of car Tiger Woods was driving?
Woods was driving a 2021 Genesis pickup. The front of the vehicle was destroyed and the air bags deployed, Villanueva said. Woods was wearing a seatbelt, Gonzalez said.
Woods’ car pulled up on the driver’s side in the brush on the side of the road.
“Fortunately, the interior was more or less intact, which gave him the mattress to survive what would otherwise have been a fatal accident,” Villanueva said.
The sponsor of the golf tournament he hosted over the weekend provided the Genesis to Woods as a courtesy car.
Woods hosted the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades over the weekend and some proceeds went to his foundation.
Woods did not play due to recent back surgery.
Mark Del Rosso, president and CEO of Genesis Motor North America, said Tuesday he was “heartbroken” to learn of the accident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” Rosso said.