Officials Say Tiger Woods’s Car Crash Was Caused by Excessive Speed

Woods was driving at least 84 mph in a 45 mph zone at the time of the wreck

Los Angeles County Sherrif deputies with the vehicle that golf legend Tiger Woods crashed
Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies gather evidence from the vehicle that golf legend Tiger Woods crashed.
David McNew/Getty

A week after refusing to reveal the cause of Tiger Woods’s horrific Feb. 23 car crash, Los Angeles County officials have finally announced why the legendary golfer lost control of his vehicle. Woods was reportedly traveling at nearly twice the speed limit at the time of the incident.

“The primary causal factor for this traffic collision was driving at a speed unsafe for the road conditions and the inability to negotiate the curve of the roadway,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

Villanueva said that Woods’s Genesis GV80 SUV was traveling between 84 and 87 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone at the time of the crash. As CNN reports, his car hit a “Welcome to Rolling Hills Estates” sign, crossed a center divider and “traveled more than 150 feet across the shoulder through shrubbery and an uprooted tree.” Woods was still traveling 75 mph when the car hit a tree, launching it into the air.

“The impact of the vehicle when it hit the tree caused the vehicle to go airborne and do somewhat [of a] pirouette landing on its side,” Sheriff’s Capt. James Powers said. Powers added that Woods likely mistook the gas pedal for the brakes because no braking was detected.

“There is zero braking on that data recorder,” he said. “There is 99% acceleration on the pedal.” 

Officials also noted they found no signs of impairment and said that no charges will be filed against Woods.

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