Golf superstar Tiger Woods suffered major, non-life-threatening injuries to his legs after being involved in a severe single-car rollover crash near Rancho Palos Verdes, California, shortly after 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning, February 23, 2021.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Carlos Gonzalez was the first to arrive at the scene on a notoriously treacherous stretch of Hawthorne Boulevard. He found Woods “lucid and calm” despite being trapped inside the severely mangled vehicle. After identifying himself as “Tiger,” Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel had to use tools to extricate him through the windshield.
Woods was transported to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he underwent a “long surgical procedure” on his lower right leg and ankle.
By late Tuesday night, Woods’ team released a statement detailing the nature of his injuries and surgery, provided by Dr. Aniish Mahajan, the hospital’s interim CEO:
- Fractures: Woods suffered “comminuted open fractures” affecting both the tibia and fibula bones in his right leg. This means the bones were broken into more than two pieces and had broken through the skin.
- Stabilization: Doctors inserted a rod into his tibia and used a combination of screws and pins to stabilize additional injuries to the bones in his foot and ankle.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva stated that Woods was “very fortunate… to come out of this alive,” noting that the intact interior of the vehicle provided the cushion necessary for his survival. Villanueva indicated there was “no evidence of impairment” at the scene; officers observed no signs of alcohol or narcotics influence.
The focus of the investigation turned to the speed of the vehicle. Woods’ SUV struck the median, obliterated a sign, crossed into the opposite lane, and rolled multiple times before stopping hundreds of feet away in a gully. Villanueva suggested this indicated Woods was traveling at a “relatively greater speed than normal” on a road known as a “hot spot for traffic collisions.”
Woods was in the area as the host of the Genesis Invitational golf tournament, which concluded the prior Sunday, and had recently undergone back surgery, though he had expressed hope of playing in the Masters in April.
