Car Crashes

The Sheriff overseeing the investigation into the Tiger Woods car crash says he will NOT face criminal charges over the incident -- calling it a pure "accident."

Sheriff Alex Villanueva took questions from the media on Wednesday -- and when asked directly if Tiger would face a reckless driving charge, he said, "No."

"This is purely an accident," Sheriff Villanueva said ... explaining there is no evidence showing the 45-year-old was under the influence of any substance when he drove his vehicle off a cliff in Palos Verdes, CA on Tuesday.

There is a chance Woods could be hit with an infraction if investigators determine he was using his cell phone when he lost control -- or was otherwise distracted behind the wheel -- but it's a big difference from being charged with a crime.

"We do not contemplate any charges whatsoever in this crash," Villanueva added ... "This remains an accident. An accident is not a crime."

As we previously reported, Deputy Carlos Gonzalez -- the first person to respond to the crash scene -- says Tiger seemed lucid and sober in the moments after the accident.

Officials say they did not take a blood sample from Tiger to test for substances because there were no obvious signs of impairment.

Sheriff Villanueva also confirmed investigators have still not retrieved a "black box" from the SUV Tiger was driving -- a device that could show investigators how fast the vehicle was traveling at the time of the incident.

Tiger Woods might've been way more seriously injured had he been driving anything else, because the SUV was top of the line in terms of safety.

A lot of attention has been paid to what kind of car Tiger was in Tuesday when he rolled over in Rancho Palos Verdes, and though it was totaled ... the 2021 Genesis GV80 has all the bells and whistles of 21st-century road safety you'd want in a car retailing for $47k to $60k, depending on the model. It's a fair guess Tiger's was fully loaded.

The whip comes in all-wheel-drive ride by default ... so torque is sent to all four wheels instead of just 2, giving the driver more control on the road. That's assisted with a built-in Electronic Stability Control and Traction Control System.

Perhaps most important is what's featured inside ... namely 10 standard airbags, that essentially turn the car into a pillow in the event of an accident. There's also an extra airbag up front that sits in the center console, between driver and passenger.

From the looks of the aftermath, it sure looks like most of those airbags went off ... something that almost certainly lessened the damage to Tiger's body.

Granted, he's still dealing with a gruesome leg injury -- but it could've been so much worse.

Now, as crunched as the GV80 appeared yesterday ... you could argue the structure actually held up pretty well considering the impact. That's not a surprise once you know it uses high-strength steel for the roof, transmission tunnel, front chassis extensions and parts of the rear structure.

Tiger Woods continues to get support from all over the world -- including a beautiful sand art tribute in a bunker at the St. Andrews Links in Scotland.

Of course, St. Andrews is considered the oldest golf course in the world -- dating back to the 15th century.

Tiger has famously won the Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews twice -- first in 2000 and again in 2005.

So, to pay tribute to the former champ ... Robert Lloyd, one of the staffers at St. Andrews, decided to bust out his tools and create a piece of art for Tiger.

The final piece included the famous TW logo and the words, "Thoughts & Prayers."

Lloyd -- an American living in Scotland -- tells TMZ Sports the project took him around an hour to complete.

He's never met Tiger personally, but says he's a big fan and hopes the golf legend can fully recover and compete again.

Woods was seriously injured in a Feb. 23 car crash -- and required emergency surgery to stabilize a badly broken right leg.

Tiger Woods suffered comminuted open fractures in his right leg -- meaning the bone was shattered in at least 2 places and broke through the skin -- so doctors used a rod to stabilize it, according to Tiger's medical team.

Dr. Anish Mahajan -- Chief Medical Officer at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center -- just issued a statement describing Tiger's injuries in detail ... and it sounds bad. Note, he only mentions injuries to ONE of Tiger's legs, not both.

"Mr. Woods suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopaedic trauma specialists," Mahajan says.

"Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia."

A comminuted fracture is when the bone breaks into several pieces, according to WebMD. And, the fact it's "open" means the bones broke through the skin.

Dr. Mahajan says Tiger also suffered serious injuries to his right ankle and foot -- which were stabilized "with a combination of screws and pins."

He continued, "Trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling."

Tiger is currently "awake, responsive, and recovering in his hospital room," according to Tiger's PR team ... which also added a statement from his camp.

"Thank you to the wonderful doctors and hospital staff at Harbor UCLA Medical Center, the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department, and the Fire Department. Your support and assistance has been outstanding."

Dwyane Wade is opening up about the time he spent with Tiger Woods just ONE DAY before the car accident -- explaining how they bonded while talking about their families.

D-Wade had connected with Tiger in L.A. on Monday to shoot some segments for Golf Digest where Tiger essentially served as an on-the-course golf instructor for Wade.

They even made a funny video playfully mocking Wade's skills on the links. Fun stuff.

But, less than 24 hours later, Woods wrecked his SUV and suffered horrible injuries to his leg -- and there's real concern he may never play golf again.

Wade appeared on "Inside the NBA" on Tuesday to discuss his day with Tiger -- and described him as a friendly, nice guy who was acting completely normal on the links.

"He taught me a few things," Wade said ... "Hopefully it will translate!"

"But to be out there with the G.O.A.T in my eyes in that sport and being able to talk to him about Sam and Charley [Tiger's kids] and his father ... It was a great day."

Wade continued, "I woke up to the news [after taking a nap on Tuesday]. Just like everybody out there, my thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones because we all were shaken and shook at that moment, not knowing what happened with Tiger."

The area where Tiger Woods crashed is known as a dangerous spot, where other vehicles have lost control in the past ... and actually features a safety net to help prevent exactly what it appears happened to Woods.

TMZ spoke with a number of locals who live in the Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates area -- where Tiger's 2021 Genesis GV80 lost control and rolled over in a nasty wreck -- and we're being told the same thing by all ... it's a gnarly bend, that catches up with you if you're going too fast and unfamiliar with the area.

As for the road's layout -- where cops say Tiger flipped -- it's a massive downhill grade that cuts into a tough turn. There have even been fatal accidents at the same spot.

Tiger rolled over right at the apex of the turn -- for reasons that have yet to be determined -- but it's no surprise to a lot of folks familiar with the roads there ... who tell us it's incredibly easy to pick up speed as you're zooming down, even without accelerating.

As if that's not enough evidence, there's even a runaway ramp built-in right around that section to help vehicles that have lost control and need an emergency slow-down. It's made of thick gravel, but that just goes to show ... the place is perilous, to say the least.

The Sheriff's Office touched on the velocity factor too during their presser Tuesday ... saying they've clocked people going as fast as 80 MPH or higher in the area, the speed limit is 45.

On top of whatever else might've been going with Tiger at the time of the accident -- we broke the story he was allegedly seen speeding out of the hotel shortly before the crash -- it's clear the elements weren't in his favor at this specific location. It's a beast of a street.

TMZ Sports obtained the first video of Tiger driving Tuesday morning on Hawthorne Blvd, minutes before the crash.

This surveillance video shows 2 vehicles heading uphill -- Tiger's Genesis GV80 SUV is trailing behind a minivan at just past 7:05 AM PT. You can see the logo on the door for the Genesis Invitational golf tournament, for which Tiger was in town. He didn't appear to be driving exceptionally fast at this point.

Remember, cops say they got the call about Tiger's accident at 7:12 AM, and where this video was shot is roughly 5 miles south of where he wrecked. You can see there's a big curve in the road -- not unlike the spot where he crashed, except that was downhill where he'd likely be carrying more speed into the turns.

Oliver Konteh, a member of the crew working on the TV show "Grown-ish" recounted to us on video what the director said about Tiger nearly hitting his car just before 7 AM.

TMZ has learned ... Tiger was staying at a hotel where a major network television show was being shot. Production sources tell TMZ, when the director arrived just before 7 AM, Tiger was driving his SUV very fast as he was leaving the property and almost hit the director's car. The director was shaken enough to tell production staff about it after he parked.

A crew member who saw Tiger as he got in his SUV at the hotel tells TMZ, once Tiger got in his vehicle, there was a delay in driving off -- we're told his SUV was blocked by another car that was loading luggage -- and he appeared "agitated and impatient." The crew member says once the delay was over, Tiger "took off fast."

Tiger was scheduled to arrive at Rolling Hills CC at 7:30 AM PT for a shoot ... he was reportedly going to give Drew Brees lessons.

Deputy Carlos Gonzalez — the first person to arrive at the crash scene — says Tiger is lucky to be alive after such a horrific crash.

During a news conference moments ago, Deputy Gonzalez says it was obvious Tiger was badly injured — so he focused on keeping the golfer calm until paramedics arrived.

Tiger was unable to stand on his own due to the serious injuries suffered in the crash — and was put on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance.

Tiger was wearing a seatbelt during the crash — and officials believe it might have saved his life.

Deputy Gonzalez says Tiger was lucid and could speak at the crash scene — and did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol or any other substance.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva noted there was “no effort to draw blood at the hospital.”

Officials also say it was a quick-thinking neighbor who called 911 — which allowed responders to race to the scene and treat Tiger in a timely manner.

There’s more ... officials also noted the area where Tiger crashed is a “trouble spot” for traffic collisions — with Deputy Gonzalez noting there have been fatalities in that spot in the past

Contrary to the initial release sent out by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department ... a source with the fire department tells us the jaws of life were NOT used to free Tiger from the crash.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Woods was alert enough at the scene of the accident to ask first responders to have his manager pick up his stuff. We're told cops have not found anything illicit inside the vehicle.

A photo from the crash scene appears to show blood on the driver's side airbag.

Tiger's good friend, Donald Trump, has issued a statement about the crash ... saying, "Get well soon, Tiger. You are a true champion!"

Tiger and Trump go back years ... with Trump famously awarding Tiger the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019 to honor Tiger for winning the Masters.

TMZ has obtained the dispatch audio for Tiger's crash, and it sounds like they realized in real time that Tiger was trapped inside ... and were going to need backup STAT.

In the audio, you can hear EMS workers call for surrounding roads to be blocked off ... and discuss the severity of the crash.

Mark Steinberg, Tiger's agent, says he sustained multiple leg injuries and is currently in surgery.

An L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. source tells TMZ Sports they do not believe alcohol was involved but they did not say whether any other substance was possibly involved.

Tiger Woods was hospitalized following a bad single-car accident in L.A. County on Tuesday morning -- with officials requiring the jaws of life to free him from the vehicle.

"On February 23, 2021, at approximately 7:12 AM, LASD responded to a single vehicle roll-over traffic collision on the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes," officials say.

"The vehicle was traveling northbound on Hawthorne Boulevard, at Blackhorse Road, when it crashed. The vehicle sustained major damage."

"The driver and sole occupant was identified as PGA golfer, Eldrick 'Tiger' Woods," officials confirmed.

"Mr. Woods was extricated from the wreck with the 'jaws of life' by Los Angeles County firefighters and paramedics, then transported to a local hospital by ambulance for his injuries."

Unclear what caused the accident. Cops are investigating.

45-year-old Tiger was in the area for his annual Genesis Invitational golf tournament at the Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades.

Just this week, he took photos with stars like David Spade and Dwyane Wade -- and announced his recent back surgery could keep him out of the upcoming Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia.

It's not the first time Tiger Woods has been in a high-profile car accident -- he crashed his SUV in a 2009 incident at his home in Florida.

In 2017, he was arrested after cops found him passed out behind the wheel of his car. Tiger said he had taken prescription medication before driving, and didn't realize the effect the meds would have on him.

Justin Thomas -- one of the best golfers on the planet and Woods' good friend -- got emotional when commenting on the accident Tuesday ... saying he's praying for Tiger's kids and family.

A man in Oregon might now hold a dubious distinction -- the highest recorded blood alcohol content -- because cops say he was .77 during a DUI arrest.

The incident went down earlier this month a couple hours outside of Portland -- where cops say they were called about a hit-and-run. They tracked down a white Ford Explorer and after pulling it over ... "observed the driver to be HIGHLY intoxicated." The all-caps emphasis was made by the Warm Springs PD.

Cops say Nathan Danzuka fled in the Explorer and a short pursuit began until he crashed into a concrete barrier about half a mile from the initial stop.

When the dust settled ... cops say Danzuka's blood alcohol content was 0.77%, which is more than nine times the legal limit. Goes without saying ... his driver's license was suspended and he was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation and placed into custody. Cops say criminal charges are pending for the 28-year-old motorist.

Boxing superstar Gervonta Davis WAS the driver who fled the scene of a Lamborghini hit-and-run crash in November that caused injuries ... at least, that's what cops are saying in a new crash report obtained by TMZ Sports.

The crash report lists Davis as the driver of the 2020 Lamborghini Urus -- which allegedly blew through a red light and slammed into a Toyota on Nov. 5th ... just days after Gervonta's huge knockout win over Leo Santa Cruz.

Davis -- who turned 26 on Nov. 7th -- was reportedly celebrating his birthday at a nearby nightclub in South Baltimore before the incident.

In the report, which was first obtained by The Baltimore Sun, law enforcement says Davis and another person in the Lambo jumped out of the car immediately after the crash and fled the scene on foot.

Passengers in the other car, meanwhile, were hurt and needed to be taken to the hospital. In the crash report, cops say the driver of the Toyota had a "suspected serious injury."

Davis was NOT named publicly when cops began investigating the accident ... but in the report, officials say they were able to eventually identify Davis as the driver through witness statements and surveillance video from the area.

Plus, there is video of Davis driving in a rare Lamborghini that matches the description of the vehicle in the wreck. The footage was shot after the Santa Cruz fight.

Davis -- who was listed in the report as having suffered a "possible injury" in the crash -- has NOT been charged with a crime.

According to a police spokesperson, "The investigation is still open and ongoing."

Cyhi The Prynce says the folks who tried to gun him down chased him at speeds over 120 MPH, and he tried all sorts of dangerous maneuvers to escape before crashing.

The rapper joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and detailed his brush with death ... he says a Maserati started chasing him last week on an Atlanta highway, and stuck to his Bentley SUV like white on rice.

You gotta see him explain all the moves he was forced to make, nearly causing a massive pileup -- it sounds like something you'd see in an action movie!!!

As we reported ... he ended up crashing, and he told cops someone was trying to gun him down.

"Ink Master" star Daniel Silva says he's still struggling to deal with the death of his friend, Corey La Barrie, but wants to do what he can to honor him.

As you know ... Corey was killed last May on his 25th birthday after he and Daniel left a party together. Daniel was driving his McLaren sports car, when he got into the fatal wreck.

Daniel joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday to talk about the painful experience, and what he's doing to try to make up for the tragedy ... including being an advocate for safe driving.

He also says he hopes to one day be able to speak with Corey's family in person to express his contrition, but until then ... he's focused on making amends however possible.

Earlier Tuesday, Daniel shared a lengthy video talking publicly for the first time about Corey's death, and what the loss has meant to him.

Daniel also thanked the La Barrie family for showing him empathy and acknowledging the incident was a tragic accident in a legal letter, which he read.

He ended up pleading no contest to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and was sentenced to 4 years in state prison, but most of the sentence was suspended and he only got 365 days in county jail with 216 days of credit instead. He was released in October.

The La Barrie family filed a wrongful death suit against Daniel last year, and in January ... Daniel's legal team responded by claiming Corey was partly responsible for his own death.

NASCAR star Brad Keselowski went full Myles Garrett on his car after a risky move cost him a chance at winning the Daytona 500 on Sunday ... smashing his helmet into his whip following a fiery wreck IN THE FINAL LAP!!!

Here's how it went down -- Keselowski tried to make a move to pass Joey Logano to get into first place. Instead, he clipped the back of his teammate’s car ... resulting in a 17-car wreck that caused several drivers to fall out of the race in the process.

Cameras caught Keselowski after the crash ... and the dude was straight-up PISSED -- he walks away disgusted from his wrecked #2 Ford, then takes off his helmet and smashes it to the ground with smoke coming out of his car.

Keselowski spoke out about the unfortunate ending on Twitter ... calling it a "heartbreaker."

"My body is fine but my heart is broke," Keselowski said. "Months of studying, months of tremendous car prep from the #2crew & in the perfect position at the end..."

"Yet, Another #DAYTONA500 slips away..."

Keselowski told reporters after the race he didn't regret the move and was just trying to win. "Don’t feel like I made a mistake, but I can’t drive everyone else’s car. Frustrating."

The wreck is especially sad for Keselowski, since he had the chance to become the second active driver to win NASCAR’s sacred unofficial grand slam ... having won the Southern 500, the Brickyard 400 and the Coca-Cola 600.

Once the crash was cleaned up, underdog Michael McDowell went on to cross the checkered flag for his very first NASCAR win. He was previously 0 for 357 until Sunday!!

Shoutout to Michael McDowell for sticking to and getting his first win ... and hopefully Keselowski and his car can sort it all out in couples therapy.

Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso was rushed to the hospital after getting hit by a car while out cycling in Switzerland this week ... this, according to multiple reports.

The 2-time champ was out training with his team when he was hit by a vehicle near his home in Lugano, according to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport.

Alonso's Alpine F1 team released a statement confirming the accident ... saying Alonso was "conscious and well in himself” and would have a further examination on Friday.

FYI -- Alonso spends a lot of time on the bike when he's not behind the wheel ... and frequently shares snaps of his cycling on Instagram.

X-rays showed Alonso could have suffered multiple fractures .. and it is believed he may have fractured his jaw.

The accident throws a wrench in Alonso's planned comeback -- the driver was set to make his return to F1 for the first time since 2018 ... and the season starts March 28 in Bahrain.

More than 100 vehicles -- including dozens of 18-wheelers -- were involved in a horrific, and fatal, pileup on an icy North Texas highway.

The massive chain-reaction wreck unfolded early Thursday morning in Fort Worth on Interstate-35W -- slick road conditions spelled disaster as an 18-wheeler barreled into dozens of cars already piled up.

Video posted by a local CBS reporter showed the carnage that was spread out over more than a mile.

At least 36 people were reportedly rushed to hospitals with serious injuries. Some victims were hard to reach because vehicles were so mangled and stacked on top of each other.

At least 5 deaths have been reported.

"It wasn't a good wreck."

That's Karl-Anthony Towns opening up about the car crash that left him hospitalized before the NBA season ... revealing he's lucky to be alive.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star has still not revealed the exact date and location of the crash -- but opened up about the incident with reporters on Wednesday night.

KAT says he was going to visit his girlfriend, Jordyn Woods, at a photo shoot during the NBA offseason when a drunk driver slammed into him out of nowhere.

"I was 2 minutes from the shoot on a cliff ... drunk driver comes drifting fast as hell. It's 2 PM in the afternoon and ya know, it just happened. It was not a good wreck."

The NBA star says he was rushed to the hospital where he went through a battery of tests ... but was more concerned that he damaged his GF's car, which he was driving at the time of the wreck.

"The way I am ... even as how I felt, and the injuries I sustained and stuff like that, I was more worried that I messed up her car."

"That was just how my mindset always is. I just always wanna try to make sure everyone else is okay and I didn't wanna mess up her car."

He added, "I survived, I'm happy I was alive. I had to do what I had to do get monitored, tested all that stuff and she was right there with me."

Karl-Anthony went on to praise Woods as a strong woman who had made him a better man ... especially with all of the turmoil he's gone through over the past year, which included his mother and several other family members dying from COVID.

Kansas City Chiefs linebackers coach Britt Reid has been suspended from the team ... as police investigate his involvement in a bad car accident that left a 5-year-old girl fighting for her life.

As we previously reported, cops say Reid admitted to consuming alcohol and Adderall before a bad 3-car crash around 9 PM Thursday night that left a child in critical condition.

The child's family members say the girl suffered major brain damage in the accident ... including swelling and internal bleeding. She has not woken up since the crash.

Reid -- who did not travel with the Chiefs to Super Bowl LV in Tampa this past weekend -- has officially been placed on administrative leave, the team announced Tuesday.

"We remain in the process of gathering information on the incident, and we will continue to assist local authorities as requested," the team said in a statement.

"Our focus remains on Ariel Young and her family. We have reached out to the family to offer our support and resources to them during this difficult time, and we will continue to pray for her recovery."