Tiger Woods near-fatal car accident: A timeline of the events that led to the horrific roll-over crash
Tiger Woods underwent multiple leg surgeries following a roll-over car crash on February 23. The first responding officers who rescued him remarked that the 45-year-old golfer was 'lucky to be alive' after assessing the severity of the crash and the condition he was found in. Woods was reportedly driving at breakneck speed to make up for the delay in starting for his scheduled destination at Riviera Golf Course in Los Angeles.
A probe has been launched to find out if he was driving under the influence of any substance at the time of the crash, though the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. ruled out that alcohol was involved. Here is the detailed timeline of events leading to his tragic accident.
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Timeline of Tiger Woods' car accident
February 23, Tuesday
Just before 7 am PT: Oliver Konteh, a crew member of a TV show being filmed in Tiger Woods' hotel, spotted the golfer speeding out from the hotel premises a little before 7 am.
Konteh told TMZ that he saw Woods getting into his SUV but was visibly 'agitated and impatient' after there was a delay in driving off, as his SUV was blocked by another car where luggage was being loaded. Woods reportedly had a scheduled meeting at 7:30 am with Drew Brees and Justin Herbert for imparting golf lessons. However, the rendezvous for the same -- Riviera Golf Course -- was at least an hour drive from the resort where Woods put up. So, he speeded off around 7 am hoping to reach on time by driving super fast.
Konteh added that when Woods sped off from the hotel, he almost hit the director's car.
7:05 am PT: A surveillance video procured by TMZ shows his car trailing behind a minivan around this time while both the cars were heading uphill. It did not appear that Woods was driving tremendously fast at this point.
7:12 am PT: Woods was driving fast near Rancho Palos Verdes when his Genesis GV80 flipped over and 'rolled several hundred feet', reports the Daily Mail. The police received a call from a local resident who heard the car crash and rushed to the spot immediately.
7:12 am to 11:43 am PT: During this period, Woods was rescued by the police and rushed to the hospital where he later underwent leg surgery.
First responder police officer Carlos Gonzalez found him injured in the driver's seat. He was conscious and appeared calm. He spoke to Gonzalez, revealing his name, and also asked the police to have his manager pick up his stuff.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva later revealed that Woods was unable to get up on his own. His SUV hit signs and 'sheared a tree' before rolling over several times.
Contrary to the initial statement of using jaws of life, firefighters actually used a halligan tool to rescue Woods, reports DailyMail. He was then escorted to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
11:52 am PT: Woods' agent Mark Steinberg confirmed to the public that the golfer has sustained multiple leg injuries and was in surgery at that moment. He suffered compound fractures on the lower parts of both legs and a shattered ankle, reports ESPN.
12:43 pm PT: Former President Donald Trump, who also happens to be a good friend of Tiger Woods, issued a statement wishing his speedy recovery. "Get well soon, Tiger. You are a true champion!" - read the statement.
1:00 pm PT: A photo obtained by TMZ from the crash site shows blood on the airbag on the driver's side.
2:03 pm PT: A source from the Fire Dept. contradicted the LA County Sheriff's Dept.'s original statement of using 'jaws of life' to extricate Woods. They said that a halligan tool was used.
9:30 pm PT: Chief Medical Officer at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Anish Mahajan posted a statement on Tiger Woods's health on the latter's Twitter feed. He revealed that Woods suffered serious orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity which was treated by Orthopedic Trauma specialists. Open fractures on both upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones in the leg were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia. A combination of screws and pins was used to treat the injured foot and ankle bones. The muscle and soft tissue trauma required surgical release to relieve the pressure.
At present, Woods is awake, responsive, and in recovery.
[Story to be updated with more details as they emerge]