Tiger Woods not facing reckless driving charge: sheriff

"We're hoping obviously there's going to be... this black box and we'll have some information about the speed. It may be a factor in this accident."

A Genesis GV80 SUV driven by US golfer Tiger Woods is loaded onto a flatbed truck after it was removed from a hillside at the scene of a single-vehicle crash in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, on Tuesday. Picture: EPA-EFE

Tiger Woods is not facing charges of reckless driving following the car crash in which he suffered serious leg injuries, authorities said Wednesday.

“A reckless driving charge has a lot of elements into it, this is purely an accident,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters.

He added that the most Woods could face would be a low-level offense known as an infraction if investigators conclude that he was not paying attention or speeding.

The vehicle driven (bottom right) by golfer Tiger Woods lies on its side in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, on February 23, 2021, after a rollover accident. Picture: AFP

“There’ll be a cause of it, and there’ll be a vehicle code attached to the cause, if it’s inattentive driving whatever the case may be.

“But that’s an infraction and a reckless driving is actually more than an infraction. That’s a misdemeanor crime that has a lot of elements attached to it and there’s nothing, nothing like that,” said Villanueva.

ALSO READ: Tiger Woods ‘recovering’ after suffering ‘significant orthopaedic injuries’

The sheriff said he hoped the brand new SUV was equipped with an in-vehicle data recorder that may help shed some light on the cause of the accident.

“We’re hoping obviously there’s going to be… this black box and we’ll have some information about the speed. It may be a factor in this accident.”

Woods, 45, was driving alone in a Los Angeles suburb on a road notorious for fatal accidents when he crashed on Tuesday morning. No other vehicles were involved.

A tow truck recovers the vehicle driven by golfer Tiger Woods in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, on Tuesday, following his crash. Picture: AFP

Firefighters and paramedics cut the 15-time major champion out of the wreckage before taking him to hospital, where he is recovering after surgery on his lower right leg and ankle.

ALSO READ: No word from Genesis after Tiger Woods’ GV80 roll in LA

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.