Woods suffered serious injuries in the Feb. 23 crash when he
struck a raised median around 7 a.m. in Rolling Hills Estates, just outside Los
Angeles. The Genesis SUV he was driving crossed two oncoming lanes and uprooted
a tree on a downhill stretch that police said is known for wrecks. Woods is in
Florida recovering from multiple surgeries.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva has been criticized for his comments
about the crash, calling it "purely an accident" and saying there was
no evidence of impairment. Woods told deputies he did not know how the crash occurred
and didn't remember driving. He was unconscious when a witness first approached
the mangled SUV. But a sheriff's deputy said the athlete later appeared to be
in shock but was conscious and able to answer basic questions.
Investigators did not seek a search warrant for Woods' blood
samples, which could be screened for drugs and alcohol. In 2017, Woods checked
himself into a clinic for help in dealing with prescription drug medication
after a DUI charge in his home state of Florida.
Detectives, however, did obtain a search warrant for the
data recorder of the 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV, known as a black box. Villanueva
would not say Wednesday what data had been found in the black box.
"A cause has been determined, the investigation has
concluded," Villanueva said during a live social media event Wednesday in
response to a question posed by The Associated Press.
But Villanueva claimed investigators need permission from
Woods — who previously named his yacht "Privacy" — to release
information about the crash.
"We have reached out to Tiger Woods and his
personnel," Villanueva said. "There's some privacy issues on
releasing information on the investigation, so we're going to ask them if they
waive the privacy, and then we will be able to do a full release on all the
information regarding the accident."
Woods's agent at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, did not
immediately respond to an email.
"We have all the contents of the black box. We've got
everything," Villanueva said. "It's completed, signed, sealed and delivered.
However, we can't release it without the permission of the people involved in
the collision."
Greg Risling, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County
district attorney, said in an email Wednesday that no felony or misdemeanor
complaints against Woods had been filed through their office regarding the
crash.
Villanueva's statement about privacy issues did not make
sense to Joseph Giacalone, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal
Justice and a retired New York City Police Department sergeant, who has
criticized the sheriff's response to the Woods incident from the start.
"I don't think I've ever seen a department ever ask for
permission like that," he said. "What happens if his lawyers say,
'No, you can't send it out now.' And then where does that leave us?"
Giacalone said it's unlikely deputies would have sought the
permission of non-celebrity victims in similar crashes to release information.
If the sheriff's hesitancy stemmed from a potential medical episode behind the
wheel, Giacalone said authorities could simply say it was a medical emergency
without giving additional details.
"I don't think they would have asked any family member
of us if they can come out with it," he said.
Woods is from the Los Angeles area and was back home to host
his PGA tournament, the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, which
ended two days before the crash. He was driving an SUV lent to him by the
tournament.
Woods has never gone an entire year without playing, dating
back to his first PGA Tour event as a 16-year-old in high school.
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