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Tiger Woods charged with DUI after a rollover car crash in Florida, deputies say

Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald on

Published in Golf

Golf superstar Tiger Woods was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after he was involved in a rollover car crash on Jupiter Island on Friday, authorities said.

Woods is specifically facing charges of DUI with property damage and refusing to submit to DUI testing, Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said in a press conference. He was taken to the Martin County Jail where he will remain for at least eight hours after his arrest.

The crash occurred just after 2 p.m. near his home. WPTV in West Palm Beach published photos of the wreck involving Woods’ black SUV. The car, a Range Rover, was on its side in the middle of the road, with numerous officers on the scene.

Budensiek said Woods had to crawl out of the passenger side window after a collision with the backside of another vehicle. There were no injuries.

Deputies did not suspect Woods was under the influence of alcohol but possibly a medication or drug, Budensiek said. Authorities did not find any drugs or medications in the car.

“He was cooperative but careful not to incriminate himself,” he said. “He was not injured, but he was lethargic on scene.”

Woods took and passed a breathalyzer test. However, when deputies tried to take a urine test, Woods refused.

President Donald Trump, who is in Miami Beach for the Future Investment Initiative Priority Summit and a friend of Woods, spoke about his crash.

 

“I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty. There was an accident and that’s all I know,” Trump said. “Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person, amazing man. But some difficulty.”

This isn’t the first crash Woods has been in. Fans may recall that in 2021, Woods was seriously injured in a rollover crash in Rolling Hills Estates in Southern California.

The PGA great, 50, was reportedly driving at least twice the speed in a 45 mph zone when his Genesis SUV, a loaner, struck a tree, flew through the air and landed on its side. Los Angeles police noted that another cause of the crash was a failure to negotiate the curves in the highway.

No citations were issued because there were no witnesses on the scene, nor evidence of impairment. But the Masters champion was badly injured, particularly to his right leg and ankles, and it took him months to recover.

Longtime fans may recall that on Thanksgiving Night 2009, Woods’ Cadillac Escalade collided with a fire hydrant, tree and several bushes near his Central Florida home, and he was ticketed with careless driving.

The divorced father of two, who had been caught up in a cheating scandal at the time, later took sole responsibility for the wreck and called it a “private matter.” He also thanked his then wife Elin Nordegren for helping him from the car.

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©2026 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

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