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Golfer Tiger Woods is recovering from injuries he sustained during a car accident on a highway near Los Angeles, California. He has since undergone emergency surgery for serious injuries to his right leg and ankle.
According to a report from Harbor-UCLA Medical Center’s chief medical officer, Anish Mahajan, in a statement from Tiger’s foundation, the golfer suffered open fractures to the upper and lower tibia and fibula bones, and additional injuries to the foot and ankle bones.
The fractures had to be stabilized by inserting rods and a combination of screws and pins, the release details. “He is currently awake, responsive, and recovering in his hospital room,” the statement added. “There are no further updates at this time.”
The accident
The accident occurred “on the border between Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes,” a rural and affluent area near several golf courses located southwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Tuesday afternoon that an investigation will be conducted “that may take days or even weeks to reach conclusions.” He stated that no immediate evidence was found that Tiger Woods was impaired from driving.
Authorities will investigate whether Woods exceeded the speed limit in the area or whether there were traces of medication, narcotics or alcohol in his system.
“This area has a high frequency of accidents because the road is downhill and there are many curves,” Villanueva warned.
The American golfer was found in a conscious state after the collision. His vehicle reportedly veered off the road, hit the curb and a tree, and flipped over several times before ending up on its side dozens of meters from the point of the accident, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said.
Rescue crews had to extract Tiger Woods through the windshield of the car and transport him by ambulance to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, which specializes in trauma.
