Tiger Woods pleads not guilty to DUI in car crash where authorities say he was found with opioids
Updated . First published
Tiger Woods entered a not guilty plea in his driving under the influence case in Florida on Tuesday, hours after a sheriff's report said he had pain pills and showed signs of impairment at the scene of the crash last week.
The online court docket for Martin County, Florida, showed Woods entered a written plea of not guilty and planned to waive his appearance during an arraignment hearing next month.
Tiger Woods' eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his pupils dilated and he had hydrocodone pills in his pocket when interviewed at the scene of his car crash last week in Florida, according to a sheriff's office report released on Tuesday (Wednesday morning AEDT).
Woods' movements were slow and lethargic, he was sweating as he talked to deputies, and he told them he had taken prescription medication earlier in the morning, according to the incident report released from the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies found two white pills, which were identified as the opioid hydrocodone used to treat pain, in his pocket, the report said.
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Tiger Woods' eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his pupils dilated and he had hydrocodone pills in his pocket when interviewed at the scene of his car crash last week in Florida. AP
When asked by a deputy if he took any prescription medications, Woods said, "I take a few."
Woods told deputies he had been looking at his phone and fiddling with the radio before he clipped the truck in front of him, the report said.
The golfer was traveling at "high speeds" on a beachside, residential road in Jupiter Island when his Land Rover clipped the truck and rolled onto its side, according to the sheriff's office, noting that Woods showed "signs of impairment".
The truck had $US5000 ($7300) in damage, according to the sheriff's report.
The truck had $US5000 ($7300) in damage, according to the sheriff's report. AP
Neither Woods nor the other driver were injured. Woods agreed to a breathalyser test that showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said. He was arrested and released on bail eight hours later.
Woods' agent at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, has not responded to multiple messages seeking comment.
No one from Woods' camp or the PGA Tour – he is on the board and is chairman of the committee reshaping the competition model – has commented since his arrest.
Woods, who has been involved in other crashes over the years, is charged with driving under the influence, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. AP
Woods, who has been involved in other crashes over the years, is charged with driving under the influence, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
Under a change to Florida law last year, refusing a law enforcement officer's request to take a breath, blood or urine test became a misdemeanour, even for a first offence.
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