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ORLANDO — Tiger Woods was formally charged on Tuesday with careless driving for the mysterious car crash outside his home the morning after Thanksgiving.
At a news conference this afternoon, Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Kim Miller said Woods would be fined $164 for the crash in which Woods drove his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant, then a tree, shortly after leaving the driveway of his home in an exclusive subdivision.
The accident occurred about 2:30 a.m. and days after a tabloid reported that the married Woods was seen with another woman, leading to speculation that the crash was domestic-related.
After the crash, Woods was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was released about 12 hours later.
Miller today would not rule out the possibility that other factors – such as domestic violence or intoxication – may have been involved in the early morning crash. But she said police did not have enough evidence to obtain a search warrant to seek Woods' medical records.
"After reviewing the evidence available to us and complying with the state attorney's office, we determined there was insufficient evidence to issue a subpoena to obtain additional medical evidence in the case," she said.
Miller said she could not speak to the existence of any blood evidence, and that there was no accusations of domestic violence.
Woods will be fined $164 and receive four points on his license.
The FHP's findings came just an hour after a report from Us Weekly magazine linked Woods to Las Vegas cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs, who told the magazine she has been having an affair with Woods since 2007.
While the scrutiny had been on Rachel Uchitel, another woman who has repeatedly denied an affair with Woods, Us Weekly said it has hundreds of racy text messages from Woods to Grubbs, as well as a Nov. 24 voice mail that describes Woods talking about his wife being aware of the affair.
Earlier in the day, an attorney for Woods' neighbors who made the initial 9-1-1 call, described the crash scene.
Bill Sharpe, representing the Adams family, said that when the family arrived at the crash scene, Woods was already on the ground.
Sharpe said that Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren, was concerned for Woods.
"They were comforting Mrs. Woods (Nordegren) because she was very upset," Sharpe said at a press conference at his law firm in downtown Orlando. "Her attitude was consistent with her being concerned for her husband, and there was no indication there was a fight."
He also said the family did not see a golf club. Windermere police said that Nordegren used a golf club to help extricate her husband from his wrecked Cadillac Escalade. After leaving his driveway around 2:30 a.m. Friday, Woods hit a fire hydrant before hitting a tree.
Sharpe said that Jerome Adams is a retired physician, and that the family wrapped Woods in a blanket and told him not to move until paramedics arrived.
Sharpe said the Adamses said that, when paramedics arrived, Woods was slipping in and out of consciousness.
He said that several family members were awake watching television when the crash happened.
Nordegren was already at the crash and was kneeling on the ground when the family arrived on the scene, Sharpe said.
"This was consistent with a minor wreck," Sharpe said. "It's inconsistent with him being beat up by his wife."
Sharpe initially said that Nordegren asked the Adams to call 9-1-1 when they arrived outside following the crash of the pro golfer's SUV, but the attorney later said he could not verify that she specifically directed them to call police.
"She would have called 9-1-1 if she had a cell phone," Sharpe said.
Sharpe said that the cuts on the lip were minor and did not look like they were caused by Nordegren.
The Adams family, who live within half a block of the Woodses in Windermere, asked Sharpe to speak on their behalf because of scrutiny from the media.
"People believe they saw something that they did not witness," Sharpe said "The injuries were not consistent with domestic violence."
Sharpe said the Adams family told police that Woods did not appear to be intoxicated on alcohol or medication.
The attorney said that the Adamses are acquaintances, but not close friends, with the golf superstar who also resides in Jupiter Island.
Pro golfer Jesper Parnevik, who is close to Woods' and who hired Elin Nordegren as a nanny before she met Woods, said he hasn't talked to Woods or his wife since the incident.
"I don't think many people have," Parnevik told The Post from Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, where qualifying school is taking place this week. "They've closed camp and are handling it the way they want to. That's understandable."
Parnevik, in a later interview with The Golf Channel, said: "We pretty much wish that everyone would just leave them alone and let them sort their problems out by themselves. But when you are the most famous athlete in the world, that's kind of tough.
"Elin is like family to us, her and Tiger. We have not talked to them, which is very understandable. They are pretty much not talking to anyone right now, which everyone understands and that's the way it should be. All we can do is hope for the best. Right now it can't be easy on anyone.
"What is going on between them is a personal matter. I know it's hard and something that comes with the territory (of being a public figure). I feel bad for Elin. This is a brand new experience for her. They are such good people, both of them. None of them have never been in trouble and always try and do the best in every situation. I feel sorry for them. This is something that should not be happening in their life right now."
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/...-be-93251.html
At a news conference this afternoon, Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Kim Miller said Woods would be fined $164 for the crash in which Woods drove his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant, then a tree, shortly after leaving the driveway of his home in an exclusive subdivision.
The accident occurred about 2:30 a.m. and days after a tabloid reported that the married Woods was seen with another woman, leading to speculation that the crash was domestic-related.
After the crash, Woods was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was released about 12 hours later.
Miller today would not rule out the possibility that other factors – such as domestic violence or intoxication – may have been involved in the early morning crash. But she said police did not have enough evidence to obtain a search warrant to seek Woods' medical records.
"After reviewing the evidence available to us and complying with the state attorney's office, we determined there was insufficient evidence to issue a subpoena to obtain additional medical evidence in the case," she said.
Miller said she could not speak to the existence of any blood evidence, and that there was no accusations of domestic violence.
Woods will be fined $164 and receive four points on his license.
The FHP's findings came just an hour after a report from Us Weekly magazine linked Woods to Las Vegas cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs, who told the magazine she has been having an affair with Woods since 2007.
While the scrutiny had been on Rachel Uchitel, another woman who has repeatedly denied an affair with Woods, Us Weekly said it has hundreds of racy text messages from Woods to Grubbs, as well as a Nov. 24 voice mail that describes Woods talking about his wife being aware of the affair.
Earlier in the day, an attorney for Woods' neighbors who made the initial 9-1-1 call, described the crash scene.
Bill Sharpe, representing the Adams family, said that when the family arrived at the crash scene, Woods was already on the ground.
Sharpe said that Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren, was concerned for Woods.
"They were comforting Mrs. Woods (Nordegren) because she was very upset," Sharpe said at a press conference at his law firm in downtown Orlando. "Her attitude was consistent with her being concerned for her husband, and there was no indication there was a fight."
He also said the family did not see a golf club. Windermere police said that Nordegren used a golf club to help extricate her husband from his wrecked Cadillac Escalade. After leaving his driveway around 2:30 a.m. Friday, Woods hit a fire hydrant before hitting a tree.
Sharpe said that Jerome Adams is a retired physician, and that the family wrapped Woods in a blanket and told him not to move until paramedics arrived.
Sharpe said the Adamses said that, when paramedics arrived, Woods was slipping in and out of consciousness.
He said that several family members were awake watching television when the crash happened.
Nordegren was already at the crash and was kneeling on the ground when the family arrived on the scene, Sharpe said.
"This was consistent with a minor wreck," Sharpe said. "It's inconsistent with him being beat up by his wife."
Sharpe initially said that Nordegren asked the Adams to call 9-1-1 when they arrived outside following the crash of the pro golfer's SUV, but the attorney later said he could not verify that she specifically directed them to call police.
"She would have called 9-1-1 if she had a cell phone," Sharpe said.
Sharpe said that the cuts on the lip were minor and did not look like they were caused by Nordegren.
The Adams family, who live within half a block of the Woodses in Windermere, asked Sharpe to speak on their behalf because of scrutiny from the media.
"People believe they saw something that they did not witness," Sharpe said "The injuries were not consistent with domestic violence."
Sharpe said the Adams family told police that Woods did not appear to be intoxicated on alcohol or medication.
The attorney said that the Adamses are acquaintances, but not close friends, with the golf superstar who also resides in Jupiter Island.
Pro golfer Jesper Parnevik, who is close to Woods' and who hired Elin Nordegren as a nanny before she met Woods, said he hasn't talked to Woods or his wife since the incident.
"I don't think many people have," Parnevik told The Post from Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, where qualifying school is taking place this week. "They've closed camp and are handling it the way they want to. That's understandable."
Parnevik, in a later interview with The Golf Channel, said: "We pretty much wish that everyone would just leave them alone and let them sort their problems out by themselves. But when you are the most famous athlete in the world, that's kind of tough.
"Elin is like family to us, her and Tiger. We have not talked to them, which is very understandable. They are pretty much not talking to anyone right now, which everyone understands and that's the way it should be. All we can do is hope for the best. Right now it can't be easy on anyone.
"What is going on between them is a personal matter. I know it's hard and something that comes with the territory (of being a public figure). I feel bad for Elin. This is a brand new experience for her. They are such good people, both of them. None of them have never been in trouble and always try and do the best in every situation. I feel sorry for them. This is something that should not be happening in their life right now."
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/...-be-93251.html
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