The available evidence from the recent car crash involving Tiger Woods indicates that the famed golfer was not paying attention to the road and drifted off it before crashing his car. Three forensic car accident experts told USA TODAY Sports.
The same experts also say the evidence does not indicate he lost control of his vehicle because of excessive speeding on a curved downhill road known for speeding cars.
They arrived at this theory based on several factors, especially the way Woods’ vehicle appeared to keep going straight ahead instead of staying on the road as it curved right.
Woods, 45, traveled north near Los Angeles when his sports utility vehicle left its lane, went across the median into the southbound lanes, then went off the road, hit a tree, rolled over, and sustained significant frontal damage. According to the experts, Woods also broke multiple bones in his lower right leg, which indicates he was applying the brake at the time of impact. They also said the evidence indicates Woods applied the brake late into the collision sequence.
“To me, this is like a classic case of falling asleep behind the wheel because the road curves and his vehicle go straight,” said Jonathan Cherney, a consultant. He provides car accident analysis as an expert witness in court cases. Since the accident on Tuesday, Cherney, a former police detective, examined the Woods’ crash site in person since the accident.
“It’s a drift off the road, almost like he was either unconscious, suffering from a medical episode, or fell asleep and didn’t wake up until he was off the road, and that’s where the brake application came in,” Cherney said.
