Tiger Woods announced he is seeking treatment after he was arrested for DUI last Friday.
“I know and understand the gravity of the situation I find myself in today. I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health,” the professional golfer wrote in a statement shared with X on Tuesday. “This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward a lasting recovery.”
“I am committed to taking the time necessary to return to a healthier, stronger, more focused place, both personally and professionally. I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones, and myself at this time,” Woods’ statement concluded.
The golf star was arrested in Florida on Friday, March 27, following an accident near his home in Jupiter after he flipped over his SUV, according to the local sheriff’s office. Sheriff Alex Villanueva of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office told the press on Friday that just before 2 p.m., a truck towing a small trailer on South Beach Road in Jupiter Island was turning into a driveway when the driver looked in the rearview mirror and saw a Woods Land Rover overtaking him “at high speeds.”
“He saw it coming, so he tried to swerve to the side of the road. But this is a small two-lane road, and there was no shoulder for this pressure cleaning guy to get off the side of the road,” Sheriff Villanueva said. “He was trying to move to the side of the road. The Land Rover overtook him at the last minute, swerved to avoid the collision, but hit the rear end of the pressure washer trailer, then rolled over onto the driver’s side door.”
Woods crawled out of the passenger side of the car, and when DUI investigators arrived at the scene, they administered a breathalyzer test, but he was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, as the test registered 0.0 per police. Authorities at the scene still determined that Woods was impaired at the time of the accident. He refused to take a urine test at that time.
This is the third incident that Woods has been a part of. In 2021, he was involved in a rollover accident in Los Angeles, and police found an empty medication bottle in the back seat of his car. Earlier in 2017, the professional golfer was found asleep at the wheel in Florida and was arrested for drunk driving. Ambien, Vicodin and THC were found in his system at the time, and he entered a rehab clinic that year.
