Tiger Woods is “awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room” after sustaining serious leg injuries in a rollover car crash in Los Angeles County, his team said in a statement early Wednesday.
The latest: Per the statement, the 45-year-old golfing great underwent “a long surgical procedure on his lower right leg and ankle” at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Tuesday night.
- Anish Mahajan, the center’s chief medical officer and interim CEO, said in the statement Woods “suffered significant orthopaedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery.”
- The medical team inserted a rod into his leg, while injuries to his foot and ankle bones were stabilized with screws and pins, Mahajan added.
The big picture: Woods’ SUV traveled several hundred feet downhill following the rollover in the single-vehicle crash in Los Angeles County on Tuesday morning, the LA County Sheriff’s Department said.
- The department initially said Woods was removed from the wreck with the “jaws of life” but Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby later said a different tool was used to remove him, per NBC.
- “Deputies at the time, they did not see any evidence of impairment,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at Tuesday afternoon’s press conference.
What they’re saying: “It’s very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive, because this is an accident prone stretch of road,” said Deputy Carlos Gonzalez at a press conference Tuesday. “We’ve seen a number of accidents on this stretch of roadway.”
This post has been updated with further information about the car crash from Los Angeles County officials and the Woods’ team.
