Golf star Tiger Woods was hospitalized Tuesday after a serious rollover accident near Rancho Palos Verdes, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
Officials said Woods was the sole occupant of a Genesis GV80 SUV that was traveling north on the Horn Thorn Bou Leverage on Blackhorse Road when it crashed just after 7 p.m., officials said. The vehicle was badly damaged, and Woods had to be pulled out of the sewer by Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel, sheriff’s officials said.
Sources said he had to drive through the car’s windshield.
Henry Norvez, a spokesman for the fire department, said he could not get out by opening the door because of the situation and the way you got the vehicle. “We drove him away; We helped him get out of the vehicle. “
Woods was transported by ambulance to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he was in critical condition and being treated for injuries, the fire department said.
The pro golfer suffered multiple leg injuries. He is currently undergoing surgery and we thank you for your privacy and support, “said Mark Steinberg, his manager.
Woods’ injuries include a dislocated ankle, according to a source familiar with his treatment.
In aerial photos from the crash site, Woods’ vehicle fell about 30 yards off the sidewalk.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Woods was “lucky to be alive.”
The PGA star was the host of Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, which concluded on Sunday at a golf tournament. He did not play in the event as he was recovering from his fifth back surgery, but during the final round CBS announcer Jim Nantz said in an interview that he hopes to play in the Masters in April.
“God, I hope so too. I’ve been there before, “Woods said in an interview. “A lot of them depend on my surgeons and doctors and therapists and make sure I do it right. This is the only back I’ve got; I don’t have much room left. ”
According to various reports, Woods was on the golf course for a Golf Digest photo shoot on Monday, and both NBA veteran star Dwayne Wade and comedian David Spade Day tweeted that he was playing with her that day. Golf Digest confirmed that Woods was returning to the country club for an additional photo and video shoot when the crash occurred.
Law enforcement sources who declined to be named because they are not authorized to speak publicly on the issue told the Times that Woods was traveling at high speeds and lost control of the vehicle before crossing the center divider. Woods’ SUV turned several times before stopping. Officials did not disclose the cause of the crash.
The accident also occurred on the curved steep slope of Horn Thorne Levard, the main road that intersects the Palos Verdes Peninsula where signs warn trucks to use lower gears when traveling downhill. The route was closed Tuesday morning as deputies investigated. At 1:30 p.m., a bright red two-truck, Hawthorne, was seen leading to the crash site.
The sheriff’s deputies were photographing the scene and will measure and prepare the details before Nakamu ka removed. The front end of the SUV was badly damaged and the windscreen frame was removed from where the woods were removed from the vehicle.
Investigators were trying to determine if there were any other vehicles on the road at the time and could have played a role in the crash. Data can also be extracted from the vehicle’s computer system, officials said.
Asked about a number of deputies on the scene investigating the disposal of the blast and documenting the crash site, Villanueva said, “Whenever injuries occur, a detailed investigation is needed.”
Bob Sh Fong, 67, who lives on Blackhorse Road, north of the crash site, spotted police vehicles at H. Thorne Bleve Leverage on Tuesday morning and thought, “It must have been some big celebrity who crashed.”
Fong knows how difficult a turn on a steep hawthorn bou lever can be – because there is a run-up lane for emergency use near the crash site.
Lauren Swing, a 15-year-old resident of Rancho Palos Verdes, was taking her dog to a block at the intersection of the crash site Tuesday afternoon. She said it is an area with heavy traffic.
“Accidents happen all the time. … I think it’s almost a dangerous area of the road, and I’m always on the right side because I’m afraid of people wanting to go fast, “said Swing.” They don’t use the turn signal when they change lanes. “I’ve almost seen myself crashing, another car trying to avoid hitting me on the road. It’s too dangerous.”
She did not see Woods crash, but she said a van crossed the middle of the same road a few years ago and almost collided with it.
A 54-year-old resident of Rancho Palos Verdes, who requested anonymity and claimed to be on the street from Hawthorne and Blackhorse, called the intersection a “speed trap.”
“You don’t know how fast you can land,” the resident said. “I wasn’t even fast, just ticketed using the speed of the mountain, and I was fast. If you are not familiar with this area, it is really easy to go fast. I usually [avoid the intersection] Because people will turn on the lights, and I turn left here. ”
Rowling Hills resident Donnie Nelson said the Hawthorn area is the site of dangerous accidents once or twice a year.
“Most likely, the truck comes down the hill and loses the brakes.”
He is known to be at least one person who was seriously injured by a trash can on a hill. The speed limit is 45 miles per hour, but he said “from here you fly the car.”
This is not the first car crash involved. In 2009, when he moved to Orlando, Fla. His Cadillac SUV collided with a fire hydrant and crashed into a neighboring tree as it drove out of its driveway in a nearby community door.
In 2017, Woods was arrested in Flower’s Jupiter after police officers were found lying on the wheel of his car. Woods later said the incident was caused by an “unexpected reaction to the prescribed drugs.”
Times staff writer Christina Shoelkopf contributed to this report.
