Golf
Tiger Woods gets five-year driving ban after plea agreement over March car crash
Tiger Woods has been banned from driving for five years and hit with a fine after entering a plea agreement for reckless driving following a car crash in Florida in March.
The 15-time major winner was arrested and spent eight hours in jail before being bailed after his Land Rover rolled over in a collision with a pick-up truck towing a trailer.
He had previously entered a written plea of not guilty via his lawyers to charges of driving under the influence, property damage and a refusal to submit to testing.
Appearing at Martin County Courthouse on Wednesday morning, he agreed to the lesser charge, with Judge Darren Steele ordering Woods’ driving licence be suspended for five years alongside a fine of 1,000 US Dollars (£740). An additional careless driving citation also carries a five-year suspension, but the judge allowed that to run concurrently.
Woods walked away unhurt from the crash, escaping out of his passenger door, and, while he passed a breathalyser test for alcohol, the 50-year-old refused to submit to a urinary test for drugs. That refusal earned him an additional 500 USD fine (£370).
According to the initial police affidavit, Woods was observed by the investigating officers to be “sweating profusely” while acting “lethargic and slow” with eyes that were “bloodshot and glassy”.
He admitted he “was looking down at his cell phone and changing the radio station” in the moments before the crash and “did not notice the vehicle in front of him had slowed down”.
Woods told the authorities he had not consumed any alcohol but admitted to taking “a few” prescription medications and had done so earlier in the morning while insisting he had not had any illegal drugs.
Multiple sobriety exercises were conducted, where he struggled to follow instructions, leading a deputy to conclude: “How he performed on the exercises and based on my training, knowledge and experience, I believe Woods’ normal faculties were impaired and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle.”
Woods underwent emergency surgery after suffering multiple leg injuries following a serious car accident in California in February 2021. He has not competed on the PGA Tour since July 2024.
The affidavit stated Woods said he had 20 surgeries on his leg as a result of that crash, plus seven operations on his back, while the report also noted Woods was “limping and stumbling.”
Woods later wrote on X: “I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in.
“I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritise my wellbeing and work toward lasting recovery.”
Woods was also arrested on suspicion of DUI offences in 2017 after being found asleep at the wheel of his car in Jupiter, Florida.
He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving after it emerged he had had five prescription drugs in his system at the time.
In 2009, he crashed his car into a fire hydrant and tree outside his home in an incident that led to a spectacular unravelling of his private life.
