Tiger Woods was once again at the center of controversy after the police body camera images were released after the car accident he suffered last week in Florida. In the video, the legendary golfer appears surprised when he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of substances, after his vehicle hit another car and ended up overturning in a residential area of Jupiter Island.
According to Martin County authorities, Woods was driving a Land Rover at high speed when he clipped the back of a pickup truck before losing control and ending up with the vehicle on its side. After the incident, agent Tatiana Levenar informed the athlete that his “normal faculties were impaired” and that he would be arrested for DUI (Driving Under the Influence).
“Am I being arrested?” Woods asked in visible disbelief as he stood on the side of the road.
The officer’s response was immediate:
“Yes sir”.
Pills found in Tiger Woods’ pocket
One of the most striking moments in the video occurs when the agents search the former world number one and find two white pills in one of his pockets.
“That’s Norco,” Woods responded, referring to the drug that combines acetaminophen and hydrocodone, a powerful painkiller commonly prescribed to treat severe pain.
Authorities later confirmed that the golfer was in possession of hydrocodone, a substance that can impair driving ability if consumed before driving.
Tiger Woods said he had not consumed alcohol
In the recording, Woods also stated to the officer that he had not ingested alcohol, although he acknowledged taking “some medications” earlier in the day. Part of his statements appear silenced in the publicly released video, especially when he details what drugs he would have consumed.
The sequence also shows that the golfer was subjected to sobriety tests at the scene of the accident, before finally being handcuffed and transported by authorities.
He pleaded not guilty and announced that he will step away from golf
On Tuesday, Tiger Woods pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving under suspicion of intoxication. Hours later, he published a statement in which he announced that he would withdraw indefinitely from public and professional activity.
“I’m going to seek treatment and focus on my health,” said the winner of multiple majors, in a message that generated a strong impact in the world of sports.
The situation once again puts the personal life of the historic golfer in the spotlight, whose career has been marked both by his successes on the course and by various episodes off it.
A complicated new chapter in Tiger Woods’ career
The case has a great impact on international sport, not only because it involves one of the most influential figures in golf, but also because of the legal and personal implications it could have for Woods in this new stage of his life.
While more details about the judicial process are awaited, the images released by the Florida Police are already traveling around the world and fueling the debate about the athlete’s future.
