BEEVRLY HILLS, March 06, (THEWILL) – Fresh details emerging from the auto-crash in Southern California that left golfing legend Tiger Woods needing emergency surgery have called to question the reports that claimed Woods was conscious when help arrived. Based on court documents obtained on Friday, the man who first got to the mangled SUV found Woods unconscious.
In the affidavit submitted by Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Johann Schloegl, the man, who lives near the crash site in Rolling Hills Estates, heard the crash and walked to the SUV to try to help.
He reportedly told deputies, when they arrived, that Woods would not respond to him.
Carlos Gonzalez, the first deputy on the scene, had initially reported that Woods was able to talk to him and answer basic questions put to him. However, the golfer himself later admitted to deputies that he did not know how the collision occurred and did not even remember driving at all.
The twist in the catalogue of events is that law enforcement has not previously disclosed that Woods had been unconscious after the crash as the man who first got to the vehicle clearly pointed out.
But for the revelation contained in the statement of probable cause required when requesting that a search warrant be approved for the Genesis SUV’s data recorder, known as a black box, this twist may have not been discovered now.
Sheriff’s deputy Schloegl requested data from February 22 and February 23 to cover the time of the crash, which occurred around 7 a.m. on February 23.
In the affidavit, he wrote: “I believe the data will explain how/why the collision occurred.”
However, the sheriff’s representatives have declined to say what was discovered in the recorder.
Woods reportedly drove his 2021 GV80 off a Los Angeles County road and crashed on a downhill stretch known for no less than 13 wrecks since January 2020. County sheriff Alex Villanueva said Woods was driving alone in good weather, there was no evidence of impairment and the crash was “purely an accident” with no apparent need for DUI charges.
The surgery Woods had to undergo to quickly stabilise him and give him a chance to walk again was the 10th of his career, coming only two months after a fifth back surgery that threatened to keep him away from the 2021 Masters.
These surgeries, nevertheless, never were able to force him to go an entire year without playing, from the beginning of his first PGA Tour event as a 16-year-old in high school.
That consistency may be put to test as he continues to recover from the multiple surgeries the crash necessitated for the shattered tibia and fibula bones in his right leg.
A combination of screws and pins were used for injuries in Woods’ ankle and foot.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
