The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant to obtain data from the “black box” SUV that Tiger Woods was driving when it crashed last week, CBS News confirmed. The story was first reported by USA Today.
The department’s spokesman, Deputy James Nagao, said nothing more about the investigation of the overturning accident in which the golf legend suffered serious injuries to his leg, ankle and foot that required long-term emergency surgery.
To obtain a warrant for the black box, USA Today pointed out, investigators must determine whether there is a probable cause of a crime, even if it is only a misdemeanor.
But, the newspaper said, the sheriff’s deputy “underestimated the warrant as part of his routine investigation. He said he did not consider this a criminal investigation, but due diligence.”
In that sense, Sheriff Sheriff John Schloegl told USA Today: “We need to rebuild the traffic collision, if there was any reckless driving, if someone was on the cell phone or something. We determined if there was a crime. If there was no crime, we would end the crime. case, and it was a normal traffic collision. “
USA Today also reported that the department has decided it will not try to obtain a warrant for Woods’ blood, as it tries to find out if he was “under the influence of drugs” at the time.
Schloegl said there was “no probable cause” for obtaining such a warrant.
CBS News
The day after the accident, Los Angeles County sheriff Alex Villanueva said at a news conference: “We do not contemplate any charges in this accident.”
As he rounded a bend in the road, Woods’s vehicle hit the center bed and crossed to the other side of the traffic, Villanueva said. The SUV then hit the curb and started to roll over before finally stopping at a landfill about 30 meters from the road.
Villanueva said Woods, 45, could still be hit by traffic violations based on what the traffic investigation finds, but said that a reckless driving charge, a misdemeanor offense, was not expected.
Brian Rothmuller / Icon Sportswire via Getty
He said earlier that there were no initial signs that Woods was hurt.
Woods’ SUV – a Genesis GV80 2021 – was the only vehicle involved in the accident. Photos and videos of the scene showed major damage to the front of the vehicle. The golfer’s clubs and other personal items were removed from the site and a crane later removed the dented SUV.
Doctors told CBS News that they expect Woods to walk again, but health experts said the injuries would certainly affect his game.
– Brian Dakss, Zoe Christen Jones, Justin Carissimo and Jordan Freiman contributed to the reporting of this article.