Page 32 - Florida Sentinel 2-26-21

Sports
Tiger Woods Doing OK After Car Crash
The world held its breath awaiting news of Tiger Woods' condition after the golf legend suffered serious injuries Tues- day in a rollover crash near Los Angeles.
Woods, 45, was awake and responsive after a lengthy sur- gery at the Harbor-UCLA Med- ical Center, according to a statement early Wednesday on his Twitter account.
Here's what we know so far about the crash:
What caused the crash?
Traffic investigators could take days or weeks to determine cause of the crash as they inves- tigate whether speed, fatigue or operator error were factors, or whether Woods struck some- thing in the road, causing him to lose control, Lt. Michael White with the LA County Sheriff's Office told CNN affiliate KCAL/KCBS.
Woods was driving shortly after 7 a.m. PT in Rancho Palos Verdes when the SUV he was
using crossed a median and went across two lanes of road before hitting a curb, hitting a tree and landing on its side off the roadway in the brush. No other vehicles were involved.
Woods needed to be extri- cated from his vehicle by a res- cue crew using a pry bar and ax, according to LA County Fire Chief Daryl Osby.
Woods was driving down- hill on a winding road in an area known as a trouble spot for speeding and accidents, Vil- lanueva and Sheriff's Deputy Carlos Gonzalez said.
Woods' car came to rest on the driver's side in brush on the side of the road.
Weather was not a factor in the accident, officials said in a Tuesday news conference. There was no evidence of impairment, but the crash is under investiga- tion, officials said.
Asked at the news confer- ence whether Woods may have been on the phone at the time,
Tiger Woods vehicle rests on its side after the rollover ac- cident Tuesday.
Villanueva said investigators will have to ascertain whether distracted driving played a role.
What's the status of his injuries?
Woods was taken by ambu- lance to the Harbor-UCLA Med- ical Center in serious condition with non-life-threatening in- juries, according to the LA County Fire Department.
"He was able to communi- cate, and he was conscious," Vil- lanueva said.
Gonzalez, the first respon- der at the scene, said he kept
Woods talking until the fire crews arrived.
Tiger Woods' vehicle rests on its side after the rollover ac- cident Tuesday.
Woods suffered compound fractures in his legs, a source told CNN.
"Mr. Woods suffered sig- nificant orthopaedic injuries to his lower right extremity that were treated during emergency surgery," Dr. Anish Mahajan, chief medical officer at Harbor- UCLA Medical Center, said in a statement that was posted on Woods' Twitter account.
"(O)pen fractures affecting both the upper and lower por- tions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by insert- ing a rod into the tibia," he added. "Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combina- tion of screws and pins. Trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to
relievepressureduetoswelling." A statement on Woods' Twitter account said he was awake and responsive after a
"long surgical procedure."
What type of car was Woods driving?
Woods was driving a 2021 Genesis SUV. The front end of the vehicle was destroyed and the airbags were deployed, Vil- lanueva said. Woods was wearing a seat belt, Gonzalez said.
"Thankfully the interior was more or less intact, which kind of gave him the cushion to sur- vive what otherwise would have been a fatal crash," Villanueva said.
The Genesis was provided to Woods as a courtesy car by the sponsor of the golf tournament he hosted over the weekend.
Woods hosted the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades over the weekend, and some proceeds went to his foundation.
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