Tiger Woods crashed his vehicle in a Los Angeles neighborhood on Tuesday morning and was conscious and “calm” but did not know the extent of his injuries, a county deputy sheriff said on Wednesday who was one of the first arriving at the location.
Carlos Gonzalez, a deputy in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, told NBC News “Today” that the legendary golfer was able to identify himself immediately after the accident, but was not “aware” of the severity of his injuries. injuries.
TIGER WOODS CRASH WILL REVERBER AROUND THE SPORT WORLD: ‘SICK FOR MY STOMACH’
“Mr. Woods looked calm,” recalls Gonzalez. “I don’t think he was aware of how badly he was hurt at the moment. It could be a mixture of adrenaline. It could have been a shock … I don’t know if he had time to fully assess his injuries.”
He continued, “I ask him, ‘Can you tell me your first name?’ He looked at me and said, ‘Tiger.’ It took me half a second, but I saw his face and thought, ‘Oh, yes, you are Tiger Woods.’ “
Gonzalez noted that Woods did not appear to be in danger, so he waited for the fire department to come and safely remove him from the wreckage.
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Woods, 45, suffered “leg injuries” after being involved in a “single vehicle rollover” collision at the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes around 7:12 am local time.
His team released a statement on Wednesday morning that detailed the extent of these injuries.
“Comminuted open fractures that affect the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibular bones have been stabilized by the insertion of a shaft into the tibia,” said Dr. Anish Mahajan, medical director and interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, according to. “Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle have been stabilized with a combination of screws and pins.”
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Although police have not dismissed speed as a contributing factor, Gonzalez said the road where the accident occurred is a “hot spot” for shipwrecks.
“This particular section of the road is one of our pain points,” he said at a news conference on Tuesday. “Our residents at Ranchos Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates know that it is an important point for traffic collisions, as well as for speed. In my experience as a deputy … I saw many collisions. The nature of his vehicle, the fact that he was wearing a seat belt, I would say that it greatly increased the likelihood of saving your life. “
Gonzalez continued: “I’ve seen fatal crashes in traffic, so I’ll say that Mr. Woods was lucky to get out of this alive.”