Eight years after a car crash in front of his own home, Tiger Woods has once again garnered national media attention while being behind the wheel of a car.
On May 29, Jupiter police officers found the golfing legend asleep in the driver’s seat of his black Mercedes at 3:00 a.m. Woods was asleep. His seatbelt was on, the engine was running, the brake lights were on and the right blinker was flashing. Officers had to wake him up.
Results of the breathalyzer test showed a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .000. Yet, Woods’ speech was “extremely slow and slurred, mumbled, confused.” The 14-time major PGA champion claimed that he did not know where he was and changed his story as to where he was coming from and going.
Woods failed a subsequent roadside sobriety test, including a “one-leg stand” and “finger to nose.” He told officers that he was unable to walk on his own because he was taking several prescription drugs. In a later statement, Woods claimed to have an “unexpected reaction” to the medication that he had been taking following his back surgery five months ago.
In 2009, Woods was under suspicion of driving under the influence when he crashed his SUV into a tree and fire hydrant in front of his house. An unidentified witness told a state trooper that he had been drinking alcohol earlier. However, prosecutors rejected a petition for his blood test results from the hospital due to insufficient information.
He was eventually cited for careless driving and paid a small fine.
Woods’ arraignment for the DUI charge is scheduled for July 5.
