Tiger Woods arrested after being involved in rollover crash in Florida

Tiger Woods was arrested and taken to jail after being involved in a two-vehicle crash on Friday afternoon in Jupiter Island, Fla., that resulted in his Land Rover rolling over onto its side.

When officers reached the scene of the crash, Woods showed “signs of impairment,” Martin County Sheriff John M. Budensiek said at a news conference. A breathalyzer test did not detect any alcohol in his system but Woods refused a urinalysis. That led to his arrest and his being taken to Martin County Jail, where he must remain for at least eight hours. Woods will remain in jail until at least 11 p.m. to satisfy that requirement.

He was charged with DUI with property damage, and refusal to submit to a lawful test. Both charges are misdemeanors.

Budsensiek said the accident occurred when Woods, driving a Land Rover, tried to overtake a truck that was hauling a pressure cleaner trailer. The truck’s driver was attempting to turn left on a two-lane road, saw the Land Rover coming and tried to move off the road but had nowhere to go. The Land Rover clipped the truck, and rolled onto its side.

Budensiek said that Woods climbed out through the passenger’s side of his vehicle, and that neither driver was injured.

“Mr. Woods did exemplify signs of impairment,” Budensiek said. “They did several tests on him. He did explain the injuries and surgeries he had, we did take that into account, but they did do some in-depth roadside tests and when it was determined he was taken under arrest and taken to the Martin County Jail.”

Asked if Woods would receiver special treatment in jail, Budensiek said he would make sure Woods was safe.

“We’re the sheriff’s office,” he said. “We know we arrested a high-profile figure. I’m not trying to dramatize it. But it doesn’t matter who you are if you break the law we’re going to follow the law. It’s a really easy path to take. As far as being in the jail we’re going to make sure he’s safe. We’re not going to put him in general population. He’s not going to be with other inmates that could hurt him or try to capitalize on what he did. He’ll pay the price but he won’t pay the price by being punished in jail.”

In February 2021, Woods was injured in another rollover crash about 20 miles south of Los Angeles. Aerial footage of the crash scene showed the vehicle made contact with a median and ended up in a ditch across the other side of the road. Officials from the sheriff’s department said the SUV most likely was traveling at a “relatively greater speed than normal” along a stretch of road with “a downhill slope” that’s known for a “high frequency of accidents.”

Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the vehicle traveled several hundred feet after striking the divider and sustained “several rollovers.” Woods needed to be pried from the vehicle.

He suffered multiple fractures to the upper and lower fibula and tibia in his right leg, and required multiple surgeries to stabilize the leg, ankle and foot.

Friday’s accident came three days after Woods, 50, made his return to competitive golf, participating in the TGL Finals in nearby Palm Beach Gardens. Woods had surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon in April 2025, then lumbar disc replacement surgery in October. It was his seventh back surgery since 2014.

Woods had not announced a decision on his participation in the 2026 Masters, which begins April 8. Woods has a tournament-record streak of 24 consecutive cuts made, but the five-time Masters champion has not played there since 2024. He was scheduled to be at Augusta National either way, participating in the Champions Dinner as well as festivities around the re-opening of the Augusta Municipal Golf Course, commonly known as The Patch. Woods designed the short course there.