Tiger Woods was “very fortunate” to have survived a serious car accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday, with the golfer undergoing surgery for “multiple leg injuries”.
The 15-time major champion, 45, was removed from the crash by firefighters through the windshield of his vehicle, with the SUV said to have suffered “major damage".
Woods was transported by ambulance to the nearby Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. The LA Times later reported that Woods’ injuries included a shattered ankle and two leg fractures, one of which was a compound fracture. His injuries are not thought to be life threatening.Carlos Gonzalez, the first LA county deputy to respond to the scene, said Woods was “calm and lucid” despite being trapped inside the SUV.
“The nature of his vehicle, the fact that he was wearing his seatbelt, I would say it greatly increased the likelihood it saved his life,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve been doing this for a while and I’ve seen fatal traffic collisions, so I will say it’s very fortunate that Mr Woods was able to come out of this alive.”
The LA county sheriff’s department had reported a “single vehicle rollover collision on the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes” at 7.12am local time.
Woods travelling 'at greater speed'
At a press conference that afternoon, Alex Villanueva, the Los Angeles county sheriff, said Woods had been driving northbound on Hawthorne Boulevard when he drove over the centre median into the southbound lanes, struck a tree and rolled the vehicle several times.
While the crash is still under investigation, Villanueva said the Woods' SUV was “going at a relatively greater speed than normal”, although he added that there was “no evidence of impairment at this point in time” when asked if the golf star was under the influence at the time of the crash.
Gonzalo described that stretch of roadway as "one of our trouble spots”. He added that Woods was responsive and coherent when he arrived on scene, and was able to tell him his name.
In a statement, Woods' longtime manager, Mark Steinberg, said: “Tiger Woods was in a single-car accident this morning in California where he suffered multiple leg injuries. He is currently in surgery and we thank you for your privacy and support.”
Woods, one of the most prominent athletes in sport, had been in California to film a television programme for Discovery and Golf Digest, while he also attended the Genesis Invitational at Riviera on Sunday. The PGA Tour event benefits his charity.
Woods has not played on tour since the Masters in November. He underwent a fifth back surgery on December 23 and had told the CBS broadcast at Riviera that he "hoped" to compete at the Masters in April.
PGA Tour statement
A statement from the PGA Tour, released shortly after news of the crash broke, read: “We have been made aware of Tiger Woods’ car accident today. We are awaiting further information when he comes out of surgery. On behalf of the PGA Tour and our players, Tiger is in our prayers and will have our full support as he recovers.”
A number of the game’s most high-profile names offered their support to Woods, with world No 3 and close friend Justin Thomas telling a press conference for the WGC-Workday Championship on Tuesday afternoon: “I’m sick to my stomach. It hurts to see one of your closest friends get in an accident.
“Man, I just hope he’s all right. Just worry for his kids, you know. I’m sure they’re struggling.”
Woods has two children: daughter Sam, 13, and son Charlie, 12.
He was in another car accident in 2009, when he hit a fire hydrant and then crashed into a tree in Florida. The incident led to news that he had been unfaithful to his then wife, Elin Nordegren, which prompted Woods to lose numerous major sponsors. He took a five-month break from golf to address issues in his private life.
In May 2017, Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Florida after he was found passed out in his car. He later pled guilty to reckless driving, saying his condition was caused by prescribed medications.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more about the coronavirus
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
SCORES
Yorkshire Vikings 144-1 in 12.5 overs
(Tom Kohler 72 not out, Harry Broook 42 not out)
bt Hobart Hurricanes 140-7 in 20 overs
(Caleb Jewell 38, Sean Willis 35, Karl Carver 2-29, Josh Shaw 2-39)
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
6.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m, Winner: Mayehaab, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Monoski, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Eastern World, Royston Ffrench, Charlie Appleby
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Madkal, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Taneen, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
