Tiger was doing 87mph in a 45 mph zone

[Britishshooting]

That does seem a bit strange.
If you hurt yourself enough you are not prosecuted.
But the lads who deal with this sort of stuff know their job .
But if it’s not in the public interest to keep a stupid ,reckless driver off the road for a very long time the law needs upgrading.

Isn’t prosecution there to be a deterrent for those caught to try and prevent them acting in the same manor in the future.

I’d think the injuries sustained by Tiger are much more of a deterrent for him driving in this manor again than up to a £1k fine and being chauffeured temporarily whilst a ban is enforced.

I also imagine as the speed was calculated from the crash rather than video evidence it would take valuable police time and effort to elevate the case to court. Therefore not in public interest due to costs/time, especially when a good defence lawyer can probably find something to get it thrown out of court as the speed is ‘theoretical’ I’m assuming.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Tiger suddenly realised he was going too fast and when he went to brake he slammed the accelerator by mistake - apologists for Tiger might claim in mitigation...apparently.

 

[rudebhoy]

Can’t speak for the U.S, but it’s quite common in the U.K. for doctors to refuse access to a seriously injured driver for the purpose of obtaining a blood sample. If there’s any suggestion that securing a sample is likely to prejudice medical treatment, especially patients in major trauma, you’ve got more chance of plaiting fog.

fair enough, but it is a bit strange given his history, and how high profile the case is, that the police didn't request a blood test. Maybe the doctors would have refused, maybe his legal team would have refused, but at least they would be seen to be trying get the evidence.

 

[4LEX]

I am on the other side of the coin .
He should be prosecuted to show the law is for everyone even the rich.
It would create a job for a driver if the ban was long enough.
He should have to pass another driving test and the ban starts then.
The laws on stupid motorists need stepping up.
It was only luck he didn’t hurt anyone else.
The next guy in court is going to claim he shouldn’t be done Tiger wasn’t.
Just my opinion formed from my personal experience of tosses in cars. That’s what Tiger was.

Totally agree. It sends a message out that idiotic driving is OK as long as you don't injure anyone. He could've mowed into a family car and wiped them out. He was off his nut and got away with it. A disgrace to golf and to his family. It'll be a sad day if he ever breaks a true legends record but thankfully he's finished himself off.

 

[Smiffy]

Didn’t touch the brakes? Suggests to me that he took a micronap behind the wheel. Lucky to get out of there alive.

That would seem the "logical" explanation to me......

 

[Mandofred]

I also imagine as the speed was calculated from the crash rather than video evidence it would take valuable police time and effort to elevate the case to court. Therefore not in public interest due to costs/time, especially when a good defence lawyer can probably find something to get it thrown out of court as the speed is ‘theoretical’ I’m assuming.

Onboard blackbox. Looks like proof to me.

 

[HeftyHacker]

I was under the impression that the only drugs he was touching nowadays would be of the prescription painkillers variety... So if the police spoke to him and seemed sure he wasn't drunk or high at the scene they may have deemed it pointless investigating what was in his system given it will have been pumped full of all sorts in the immediate aftermath of the crash.

 

[Billysboots]

fair enough, but it is a bit strange given his history, and how high profile the case is, that the police didn't request a blood test. Maybe the doctors would have refused, maybe his legal team would have refused, but at least they would be seen to be trying get the evidence.

Again, I can only speak for the U.K. (it may differ in Scotland), but in this country if a driver is in hospital there is a very defined procedure to go through and request will be made of the medic in charge of the person’s care. If they agree, then the police will request the attendance of a qualified medical practitioner to secure evidential samples. If the US is anything like this country, the fact they didn’t obtain samples doesn’t mean they didn’t request them.

This sort of situation in this country is a bit of a minefield, but it can be negotiated. The police can even secure blood samples from someone who is unconscious, but will still have to have a medic’s consent - that is the starting point for any drink/drive procedure conducted in a hospital in this country. Without it, there is no procedure - it’s that clear cut.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

That would seem the "logical" explanation to me......

He hadn't been going long though had he? People nod off at night or on a long, monotonous journey, not shortly after setting off.

(This next bit isn't a reply to you, it's just general to other comments)
In terms of hitting the wrong pedal, it's the US they only ever have 2 to press, it isn't complicated. Even if he did this, not buying it, would a Hyundai SUV really go from a bit over the limit to 85-87 so quickly that the driver couldn't correct their mistake. A high powered car, possibly, not this one though.

 

[Jimaroid]

I was under the impression that the only drugs he was touching nowadays would be of the prescription painkillers variety...

Prescription has a bit less meaning in the states. The opioid painkillers e.g. fentanyl available there are powerful with many side effects including drowsiness and addiction. What’s so easily available there would surprise you. Here in the UK if you even got prescribed your doctor would be advising “do not drive” when taking many of them.

America has a drugs problem with opioid painkillers and it’s all legal.

 

[Billysboots]

He hadn't been going long though had he? People nod off at night or on a long, monotonous journey, not shortly after setting off.

Falling asleep at the wheel is exceptionally difficult to prove, but I agree with your observations.

I only ever dealt with two collisions where we could say sleep was likely to be a factor. One was towards the end of a long motorway journey where the driver passed from a lit section of road to an unlit section, and then as the road gently curved right he continued straight ahead - no braking or steering input. The other was on a trunk road and we proved the driver had been awake for the preceding 32 hours. We still needed a professor specialising in sleep patterns and deprivation to prove falling asleep at the wheel was a likely cause.

I believe Woods’ crash was first thing in the morning? I’ve never come across a case, either directly or via research, where there has been a suspicion or suggestion that a driver has nodded off relatively soon after waking. It could of course be that he had not slept but the fact remains that the collision appears to have happened quite early on in the journey. I would say it’s highly unlikely falling asleep is the cause.

 

[rudebhoy]

Again, I can only speak for the U.K. (it may differ in Scotland), but in this country if a driver is in hospital there is a very defined procedure to go through and request will be made of the medic in charge of the person’s care. If they agree, then the police will request the attendance of a qualified medical practitioner to secure evidential samples. If the US is anything like this country, the fact they didn’t obtain samples doesn’t mean they didn’t request them.

This sort of situation in this country is a bit of a minefield, but it can be negotiated. The police can even secure blood samples from someone who is unconscious, but will still have to have a medic’s consent - that is the starting point for any drink/drive procedure conducted in a hospital in this country. Without it, there is no procedure - it’s that clear cut.

They didn't request them, that's mentioned in a few articles.

 

[rudebhoy]

He hadn't been going long though had he? People nod off at night or on a long, monotonous journey, not shortly after setting off.

(This next bit isn't a reply to you, it's just general to other comments)
In terms of hitting the wrong pedal, it's the US they only ever have 2 to press, it isn't complicated. Even if he did this, not buying it, would a Hyundai SUV really go from a bit over the limit to 85-87 so quickly that the driver couldn't correct their mistake. A high powered car, possibly, not this one though.

It does happen, mate of mine fell asleep on the A1 around 6.30am driving south for a business meeting. Car went off the road, he was in a coma for a good few weeks, never fully recovered and died a few years later.

 

[Billysboots]

They didn't request them, that's mentioned in a few articles.

But what does a media/press article saying they didn’t request them actually mean? It’s entirely possible that what it actually means is no formal requests were made to Woods because the medics wouldn’t allow the police access to him. There could be a multitude of reasons - it doesn’t necessarily mean the police simply didn’t bother.

 

[rudebhoy]

But what does a media/press article saying they didn’t request them actually mean? It’s entirely possible that what it actually means is no formal requests were made to Woods because the medics wouldn’t allow the police access to him. There could be a multitude of reasons - it doesn’t necessarily mean the police simply didn’t bother.

• Deputies did not seek search warrants for the athlete's blood samples because there was no evidence of impairment to give them probable cause

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-including-fractured-bones-lacerated-jaw.html


The sheriff’s department has previously said that drugs and alcohol were not factors in the crash and Woods appeared to be sober when officers arrived on the scene. On Wednesday, Villanueva said a search warrant could only have been obtained for Woods’s blood samples if the golfer had appeared to be in a state of impairment.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/apr/07/tiger-woods-car-crash-causes-los-angeles-golf

so, in other words, because he didn't seem to be pissed or high, they decided not to ask for a sample. Bit strange when you think of the number of "morning after" drivers who get tested and are over the limit.

 

[Billysboots]

I haven’t read each and every article, but if they had no suspicion of impairment then to not request samples seems reasonable enough. It wouldn’t necessarily be the case in the U.K. but, as I’ve said from the outset, I can’t speak for what happens in the U.S.

 

[rudebhoy]

I haven’t read each and every article, but if they had no suspicion of impairment then to not request samples seems reasonable enough. It wouldn’t necessarily be the case in the U.K. but, as I’ve said from the outset, I can’t speak for what happens in the U.S.

yeah, I think the key bit is "Villanueva said a search warrant could only have been obtained for Woods’s blood samples if the golfer had appeared to be in a state of impairment."

If that's the law in the US, then the law is an ass, particularly with his track record.

 

[howbow88]

A video only a few minutes before the crash shows him driving within the speed limit... I would agree with others - maybe he fell asleep at the wheel, woke up and hit the wrong pedal?

 

[clubchamp98]

He was speeding
I probably speed every time I drive,and I bet 100% of people have that are posting.

You ever done 87mph in a 40 zone ?
I havnt.
Not saying I have never been speeding but that’s just not on.

 

[Blue in Munich]

• Deputies did not seek search warrants for the athlete's blood samples because there was no evidence of impairment to give them probable cause

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-including-fractured-bones-lacerated-jaw.html


The sheriff’s department has previously said that drugs and alcohol were not factors in the crash and Woods appeared to be sober when officers arrived on the scene. On Wednesday, Villanueva said a search warrant could only have been obtained for Woods’s blood samples if the golfer had appeared to be in a state of impairment.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/apr/07/tiger-woods-car-crash-causes-los-angeles-golf

so, in other words, because he didn't seem to be pissed or high, they decided not to ask for a sample. Bit strange when you think of the number of "morning after" drivers who get tested and are over the limit.

So there’s no evidence of impairment, and without evidence of impairment they can't apply for a warrant for a sample of his blood. Looks like you’ve answered your own question.