Tiger Woods is behind bars in Florida after being arrested and charged with DUI, property damage and refusing to provide a urine sample in the wake of a rollover car crash near his home on Jupiter Island.
The golf legend is unhurt and was able to crawl out of the passenger side door after his Range Rover SUV flipped onto its side after clipping the rear end of a pressure-washing vehicle shortly after 2pm on Friday afternoon.
At a press conference, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Woods showed signs of impairment at the scene and was arrested after refusing a urine test.
Woods was alone in his car, and neither he nor the driver of the other vehicle were injured. He will remain behind bars for at least eight hours, according to the police department.
The crash occurred in a 30mph zone when Woods – who was traveling at ‘high speed’ – attempted to overtake a truck that was pulling a pressure-washing device, according to the cops.
As the vehicle slowed to turn into a driveway, Woods attempted to overtake on the two-lane residential street but clipped the rear of the trailer, flipping his Range Rover onto its side before coming to a stop.
Tiger Woods stands next to his Range Rover SUV after clambering out of the wreckage
Woods made his return to golf on Tuesday (pictured) but is now behind bars in Florida
Sheriff John Budensiek revealed details of Woods’ crash at a press conference on Friday
After clambering out, a ‘lethargic’ Woods agreed to take a breathalyzer at the scene – with the Sheriff’s Office confirming that he showed ‘triple zeros’ – but he then refused to provide a urine sample.
Speaking to the media, Sheriff John Budensiek revealed: ‘He is cooperative, but he was not trying to incriminate himself, so he was careful in what he said and didn’t say. When it came time again for the test, the urine test at the jail, he stopped that.
‘On scene, we had [Drug Recognition] experts evaluating him and they believed from on scene that he was not impaired with alcohol, but they believe it was some type of medication or drug. And again, at the jail he cooperated with the breathalyzer, and then the urine [test] he wanted no part in.
‘He has a right to refuse that test. There is a statute that he will be charged with for refusing to take that test, but we will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on at the time of the crash.’
Woods, who lives on Jupiter Island around two miles from where the incident occurred, was involved in a similar crash in 2021 in California, which shattered his right leg after he was trapped under the vehicle. He needed multiple surgeries in order to recover from his injuries.
Woods flipped his Range Rover SUV onto its side and was able to clamber out uninjured
Woods kisses girlfriend Vanessa Trump on the cheek on his return to golf on Tuesday night
The accident, the third crash he has been involved in, comes just days after Woods made his hugely anticipated return to golf at an event on Tuesday night, where girlfriend Vanessa Trump was watching him play.
The police confirmed that Woods is being kept away from the general population in jail, where he will remain until at least 11pm EST on Friday night.
‘We know we arrested a high-profile figure, I’m not trying to dramatize it,’ Sheriff Budensiek told reporters. ‘But it doesn’t matter who you are, if you break the law we’re gonna follow the law. That’s a really easy path to take.
‘Now as far as being in the jail, we’re gonna make sure he’s safe. We’re not gonna put him in general population, he’s not gonna be with other inmates that can try and hurt him or try to capitalize on what he did.
‘He’ll pay the price, but he’s not gonna pay the price by getting punished in jail. He was not injured. He was lethargic on scene, but we believe that was because of what he was intoxicated on.’
Woods had been weighing up whether to compete in The Masters at Augusta National, Georgia in April after undergoing a seventh back surgery last October. He said this week that, despite returning to golf, he has days where he struggles to move.
In 2021, golf icon Woods shattered his leg from a similar crash in Southern California
‘Sometimes I have good days, sometimes I have bad days,’ he said this week of his overall health.
‘Disc replacement is not a lot of fun. I’ve had a lot of procedures prior to that, so the body doesn’t quite heal like it was when I was 24. Doesn’t quite bounce back. So I have good days when I can pretty much do anything, and other days where it’s hard to just to move around.’
As well as Woods’ ongoing back issues, he also tore his Achilles last March. He last played a tournament in July 2024 at The Open Championship in Scotland.
Remarkably, President Trump had said on Thursday night that Woods – who he is friends with – would not be playing at Augusta.
‘I love Tiger but he won’t be there,’ Trump told Fox. ‘He will be there but he won’t be playing in it.’
Trump also spoke out about Woods’ crash on Friday as he traveled home to Mar-a-Lago, telling reporters: ‘I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty.’
He added: ‘There was an accident and that’s all I know. Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person, amazing man. But, some difficulty. I don’t want to talk about it.’
In 2017 Woods was arrested for DUI after police found him slumped in his car in Florida with five drugs in his system, including two painkillers.
He subsequently checked into rehab for painkiller addiction.
Woods pictured with his two kids Sam (center) and Charlie (left) in Florida in 2023
He was involved in another high-profile crash in 2009 when he hit a fire hydrant after being chased from his home by then-wife Elin Nordegren, which led him to admit to multiple affairs and drug use.
Woods and Nordegren eventually divorced in 2010 but have remained friends while co-parenting their children.
‘Having the relationship that I have now with her is fantastic,’ Woods told Time in 2015. ‘We both know that the most important things in our lives are our kids. I wish I would have known that back then.’
Their 17-year-old son, Charlie, is an aspiring golfer and the former couple often reunite to support him at events. They also have a daughter, Sam, who is 18.
Woods has been dating Vanessa Trump for over a year – their relationship was first reported by the Daily Mail in March 2025 after they started seeing each other around Thanksgiving 2024.
Vanessa filed for an uncontested divorce from ex-husband Donald Trump Jr. in March 2018.
Eldest Trump grandchild Kai (center) pictured with Woods at PGA Tour event in 2025
Her daughter, Kai, is also an avid golfer who has commited to play at college level for the University of Miami. She has also forged a growing profile as an influencer in the sport.
But just as Woods has appeared to find happiness once again away from golf, Friday’s incident is a stark reminder of the troubles that have followed him throughout the course of his life.
As well as his recent struggles to stay healthy, his mother Kultida died in February 2025 at the age of 80.
‘My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable. She was quick with the needle and a laugh,’ Woods said at the time.
‘She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible.’
Woods lost his doting mother, Kultida, in February 2025 at the age of 80 years old
His 2021 crash in California happened when Woods lost control on a downhill stretch of road, smashed through a road sign and rolled his car several hundred feet in a horror smash that police said he was ‘lucky to survive’.
Firefighters had to use a halligan tool to extricate Woods, freeing him from the car via the window.
Woods is a 15-time Major winner in golf and widely considered to be the most talented player to have ever competed in the game.
The Daily Mail has contacted Woods’ agent for comment.
