Tiger Woods crash caused by excessive speed, as police say he crashed into tree at 75 mph

The cause of Tiger Woods’s February car crash in Southern California was excessive speed, police said, revealing . Police said the golf star was driving too fast to handle the curve of the road and hit a tree at 75mph.

Prior to the crash, Mr Woods hit speeds between 84 and 87 mph before he drove off the road, law enforcement officials said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Mr Woods was driving at almost twice the speed limit of 45 mph. He hit a median and his SUV skidded across the road, hit a tree and became airborne before landing in a ditch.

Police said that a data recorder in the vehicle showed no evidence of breaking until the car hit the median. The gas was pressed at 99 per cent capacity, leading officers to believe that Mr Woods inadvertently hit the gas in a moment of panic as he was careening off the roadway.

Law enforcement added that no open containers were found in the vehicle.

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“There was no evidence of intoxication or impairment,” Sheriff Alex Villaneuva told reporters. The department didn’t seek a warrant for a toxicology report from the hospital where Mr Woods was being treated.

“Those questions were asked and answered,” police said of Mr Woods, and added that the sports star said that he had not been drinking.

Sheriff Villaneuva said that the department didn’t think that they had the “building blocks” for probable cause.

Law enforcement added: “No citation was issued and there were no independent witnesses” of the incident.

Police said they didn’t check Mr Woods’s phone to see if he had been texting to determine whether he had been distracted while driving.

“He has no recollection of the incident,” Captain James Power said. “He was dazed and confused, being in a state of shock.”

Sheriff Villanueva added: “The decision not to issue a citation would be the same thing for anyone in this room.

“The inference that he’s somehow special is false.”

Police added that the stretch of road Mr Woods was driving on was “hazardous” and that they are trying to address the issue with traffic control as more collisions than average occur in the area.

Law enforcement suggested that speculation about some kind of special treatment for Mr Woods was taking “cheap shots” at police for political gain and argued that it doesn’t help solve real problems.

Sheriff Alex Villaneuva said the bodycam footage from the scene of the crash will not be released.

In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Woods said: “In the last few days, I received word from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department that their investigation regarding my traffic accident back on February 23rd in Los Angeles has been completed and closed.”

He thanked the paramedics and first responders “for helping me so expertly at the scene and getting me safely to the hospital”.

He concluded: “I will continue to focus on my recovery and family, and thank everyone for the overwhelming support and encouragement I’ve received throughout this very difficult time.”