Golf superstar Tiger Woods narrowly survived a violent solo car crash on a steep, downhill suburban road in Los Angeles and was undergoing surgery until late Tuesday for multiple leg injuries at a University of California trauma centre.
"I will say that it's very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive," said LA Sheriff's Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, who was the first to arrive at the wreck. Seatbelts and airbags which deployed successfully saved Woods from what would otherwise have been a "fatal" crash, he said. It's still not clear if Woods was speeding or even texting in the 45 mph zone.
LA County officials said the 45-year old was conscious and able to communicate when first responders reached the scene by 7.18 a.m. The inside of the midsize SUV was mostly intact and that "gave him a cushion to survive the crash," Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said. Both of Woods' legs are seriously injured.
"Tiger was able to speak to me lucidly," Gonzalez said. Woods appeared "incredibly calm," he said, likely because he was in shock.
Woods was on his way for a photo shoot with Discovery-owned GOLFTV, and was alone in his silver coloured SUV when he crashed a few minutes after 7 a.m. He crossed two oncoming lanes and rolled over several times before coming to a stop. No other cars were involved in the Woods crash.
A resident who heard the crash called the police at 7.12 a.m., and first responders from the Sheriff's team arrived at the crash site by 7.18 a.m.