Tiger Woods has pleaded not guilty to the DUI charges he faces following his car crash in Jupiter Island, Florida, on March 27. The pro golfer reportedly clipped a pickup truck with a trailer, which caused his Land Rover to flip onto its driver’s side.vTiger was able to escape from the car, and when authorities arrived on the scene, they reported that his eyes were “bloodshot and glassy” and that his behavior was “lethargic and slow”.
According to the affidavit released by the Martin County Sheriff’s Department, police allegedly found two white pills in Tiger’s pockets upon searching him, which were identified as hydrocodone – a strong painkiller and highly addictive opioid used to treat severe chronic pain. When asked if he was taking any prescription medication, he replied: “I take a few.”
The 50-year-old cleared his breathalyzer test, yet allegedly refused to submit to a urine test. Tiger told authorities that he was looking down at his phone while changing the music in his car when the truck ahead of him slowed.
© Getty ImagesHe was taken into custody after the incident occurred and released from jail around 11 p.m. that same night on bail. In the wake of the crash, Tiger has pleaded not guilty to the DUI charge and the charge of failing to submit to a DUI test.
He entered the plea on Tuesday after reportedly waiving his arraignment and requesting a jury trial. He will appear in court on the morning of April 23 to plead his case, alongside his lawyer, Attorney Douglas Duncan, who represented Tiger in 2017 in his reckless driving case.
This latest crash marks the fourth time that Tiger has been involved in a car-related incident. The first, occurring in November 2009, saw Tiger crash his Cadillac into a fire hydrant and a tree in Windermere, Florida. The accident came two days after his serial infidelity during his marriage to Swedish model Elin Nordegren was exposed.
© Getty ImagesIn May 2017, Tiger was found asleep at the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz in Jupiter, Florida, with several prescription drugs in his system at the time following back surgery. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and completed a DUI diversion program.
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The father of two was then involved in a high-speed crash in February 2021 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, when he was found to be driving more than double the speed limit. He suffered extensive injuries, including to his right leg and ankle.
Donald Trump spoke out in support of Tiger on Tuesday in light of the crash, with the pair sharing a years-long friendship. The athlete is also currently dating Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.
© The Washington Post via Getty Im“I think he’s doing great, he’s doing good,” the politician told The New York Post. “He tested negative for alcohol, as you know, and he is under a tremendous physical pressure from his various ailments, you know, the back and the leg.”
© Getty Images“He lives a life of pain. He has a lot of pain,” Donald continued. “He’s an amazing guy. He’s an amazing athlete. He does have pain.” Prior to the crash, Tiger got candid about living with chronic pain after undergoing several surgeries on his back and leg in recent years.
“This body…it doesn’t recover like it did when it was 24, 25,” he said during a press conference on March 24. “It doesn’t mean I’m not trying. I’ve been trying for a while. I’ve had a couple bad injuries here over the past years that I’ve had to fight through, and it’s taken some time. But I keep trying.”