Tiger Woods involved in car crash, captured on bodycam footage
Newly released police bodycam footage appears to capture Tiger Woods telephoning President Donald Trump in the immediate aftermath of his car crash in Florida last Friday, reports BritPanorama.
The 50-year-old golf legend was taken into custody after his SUV overturned while he attempted to overtake another vehicle at high speed on a residential road.
Officers discovered two opioid tablets in his pocket during a search at the scene. Woods now faces multiple charges, including driving under the influence, following the incident on Jupiter Island.
The dramatic footage emerged on Thursday evening, adding fresh details to an already extraordinary sequence of events. In the footage, Woods can be observed at a distance while an officer repeatedly calls out to him, urging him to return.
The 15-time major champion appears to be engaged in a telephone conversation when the policeman instructs him: “We’ll get you to hang down here with us, please.” Moments later, Woods concludes his call as he walks back towards officers, saying: “Thank you so much – all right, you got it, thank you, bye.” The golfer, who is currently in a relationship with Trump’s former daughter-in-law Vanessa, then informs the police: “I was just talking with the President.”
Woods received the Medal of Freedom from Trump during his first presidential term. On Tuesday, the President confirmed he had spoken with Woods after the arrest, stating: “I think he’s doing great, he’s doing good.” Trump defended his close friend, noting the breathalyser test showed no alcohol in Woods’ system while acknowledging the golfer’s ongoing physical struggles.
“He lives a life of pain. He has a lot of pain,” Trump told reporters. “He’s an amazing guy. He’s an amazing athlete. He does have pain. He doesn’t have an alcohol problem, but he does have pain.”
According to TMZ, later portions of the bodycam footage capture Woods telling his manager that Trump was “very apologetic for what he did last night” — an apparent reference to the President’s television appearance announcing Woods would not compete at the Masters.
Woods explained to officers at the scene that he had been looking at his mobile phone when the collision occurred. “I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden… boom!” he told police, describing the moment his Range Rover struck the rear of a pressure washer trailer.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek confirmed Woods had been travelling at high speed on a road with a 30mph limit while attempting to pass a pressure cleaning truck. The vehicle swerved to avoid impact but clipped the trailer, causing the SUV to roll onto its side. Woods crawled out from the overturned car.
Officers noted his eyes appeared bloodshot and glassy, with extremely dilated pupils, and he was observed limping and stumbling during field sobriety tests.
Woods has been charged with driving under the influence, property damage, and refusing to submit to a lawful test. The sheriff confirmed Woods declined to provide a urine sample, meaning authorities will never obtain definitive results regarding what substances may have impaired him.
This marks the fourth car crash involving the golfer. In February 2021, his SUV left a coastal road in Los Angeles at high speed, causing severe leg and ankle injuries that doctors initially considered might require amputation. It is also his second DUI arrest unrelated to alcohol; in 2017, police found him asleep at the wheel after taking a problematic combination of painkillers, for which he pleaded guilty to reckless driving.
A tale of dramatic highs and lows, Woods continues to carve a complicated legacy as a figure both revered and scrutinised — a reminder that even sporting icons can struggle in the shadows.
