On February 23, professional golfer, Tiger Woods, was involved in a terrible car accident in California. During the single-car accident, police experts believe that Mr. Wood’s car hit a median, hit a tree, and rolled over several times. To release Tiger Woods from the mangled vehicle, the authorities had to use the “jaws of life” (a hydraulic tool sometimes used to extract people from car crashes). There was no report of any life-threatening injuries. However, Mr. Woods, who was already in the process of recovering from a back injury at the time of the crash, suffered severe leg injuries. Tiger Woods’ doctor stated that Mr. Woods incurred “fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones” and that these injuries “were stabilized by inserting a rod.”
The authorities have released a statement saying that the crash was not the result of impairment (such as alcohol or drugs) and that they do not know the crash source. Some sources have reported that one possible explanation for the crash could be sleeping while driving. Mr. Woods has a history of sleeping while driving. In 2017, Woods was involved in a crash for which authorities stated he was asleep at the wheel. If this was the case in this recent accident, Mr. Woods is an example of a serious driving concern in the US. Many people do not realize that sleeping drivers are responsible for over 70,000 crashes, over 40,000 injuries, and about 800 deaths each year in the US.
The big question is how this crash will affect Tiger Woods’ career. If you don’t already know, Tiger Woods is one of the greatest Golfers of all time. Woods has won five masters, four PGA tournaments and is the first golfer to hold all four professional major championships simultaneously. Some sources say that the significance of his injuries could make this crash a career-ending incident. While Tiger Woods may not be the #1 in golf today, he is a powerful player that many people follow and love to watch. He has fought through many previous injuries to continue to play golf for almost 25 years. The golf world hopes that he can work his way back from this accident to finish his career on the golf course and on his own terms.
Elisha de Silva
Sports & Wellness Columnist
Graphic: Jiah Lee