The LA County Sheriff’s Department made several critical decisions in the investigation of the devastating Tiger Woods accident that were favorable to the golf legend – who had the benefit of the doubt despite indications that he was inattentive or dozed off, according to one report.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced on February 23 – when Woods broke a borrowed Genesis GV80, breaking several leg bones – that his representatives “saw no evidence of a deficiency”.
A day later, he announced that the accident was “purely an accident” and said there was no need to bring in a drug detection specialist to assess Woods’ 45-year-old disability.
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But several forensic experts told USA Today Sports that the evidence available in the case indicates that Woods was inattentive or asleep when the SUV entered the center bed instead of staying on the track while turning right.
They cited clues, including the lack of skid marks indicating braking, to question the Sheriff’s Department’s decision to quickly label the accident as an “accident” and not to bring in a specialist to examine Woods’ blood.
“LASD is not disclosing any additional information at this time,” the sheriff’s department told USA Today Sports in a statement. “The traffic collision investigation is ongoing and traffic investigators continue to work to determine the cause of the collision.”
Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg did not return a news message asking for comment.
Accident reconstruction experts said the legend’s inability to remember to drive was reason enough to bring in a drug recognition specialist, or DRE.
“I would have thought that you would have assessed it by a DRE to see whether or not there are any physical clues beyond the operation that would point to the disability,” said Charles Schack, a former New Hampshire state police officer who is now president of Crash. Experts, which analyzes accidents.
TIGER WOODS MAY BE ABLE TO RETURN HOME SOON TO CONTINUE THE RECOVERY PROCESS, SAYS RORY MCILROY
“For an untrained person, the effects are sometimes a little more subtle and require a little more in-depth examination to reveal evidence of disability,” he told USA Today Sports.
DREs determine whether blood should be tested by questioning the driver about medications and examining the person’s eyes and vital signs, according to the report.
If a DRE had evaluated Woods at the hospital, a blood test could have shown whether or not there were medications or other drugs in his system – for which he could have been accused of a misdemeanor while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Instead, the day after the accident, Villanueva said the deputy at the scene concluded that “there was no evidence of any damage”.
“He was lucid, without the smell of alcohol, without evidence of any medication, narcotics or anything like that that would put that into question. So that was not a concern at the time. So obviously, no sobriety tests and no DRE.” the sheriff added.
But former detective Jonathan Cherney, who toured the scene after the accident, also said the evidence suggests it was “like a classic case of falling asleep at the wheel” because “the road curves and your vehicle goes straight”.
If Woods was looking at the phone momentarily, investigators would expect to see evidence that he braked or tried to swerve off the construction site long before the accident. “People with disabilities have a tendency to fall, so if you have a situation like this, where you have a unique vehicle accident, with unusual circumstances, which should cause the first respondent to inquire further and explore the disability as a possible cause of the collision, “Cherney told the agency.
The accident reconstructionist agreed that the fact that Woods twice told deputies that he could not remember driving “absolutely” is an indication of disability. “I know that significant head injuries can make people not know what happened or forget what happened.” Cherney said. “The fact that he does not remember driving is also indicative and consistent with the objective symptom of impaired driving.”
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However, it is now too late to gain access to Woods’ blood and the hospital’s medical reports without his cooperation or a search warrant, according to the report.
To obtain a warrant, the police would need to convince a judge that it is necessary and show the probable cause that a crime was committed – which would be “difficult”, Chris Taylor, lawyer for Taylor & Taylor, a specialist in DUI defense in the south from California, he told USA Today Sport. The Sheriff’s Department finally executed a search warrant to obtain data from the SUV’s “black box” that could show Woods’ speed traveling, as well as any braking or driving activity before impact.
The department did not disclose any of the findings.
During emergency surgery at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Woods had a nail inserted into his tibia and pins and screws in his foot and ankle. Three days later, he was transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and underwent follow-up procedures.