Windermere, Florida (CNN) — State police in Florida said Monday they will continue investigating a single-vehicle crash involving pro golfer Tiger Woods.
On Sunday, Woods canceled for the third time a meeting between himself and investigators to get his side of what happened early Friday when he pulled out of his driveway in his Orlando neighborhood about 2:25 a.m. in a 2009 Cadillac SUV and struck a fire hydrant, then a tree.
Woods suffered minor injuries. In a statement issued Sunday afternoon on his Web site, Woods offered no details of his wreck except to say he had cuts and bruises and was “pretty sore.”
“This situation is my fault, and it’s obviously embarrassing to my family and me,” he said. “I’m human and I’m not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Last week, a story in the National Enquirer alleged that Woods has been seeing a New York nightclub hostess. The Associated Press contacted the woman and reported that she denied having an affair with Woods.
The 33-year-old golf phenomenon has won the Masters tournament and the PGA tournament each four times, as well as three U.S. Open Championships.
A police report said the wreck was not alcohol-related. State troopers have asked to question him three times about the wreck, but he canceled the third scheduled interview on Sunday, Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes told CNN.
“We have been informed by the Florida Highway Patrol that further discussion with them is both voluntary and optional,” said Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg, in a written statement. “Although Tiger realizes that there is a great deal of public curiosity, it has been conveyed to FHP that he simply has nothing more to add and wishes to protect the privacy of his family.”
Under Florida law, Woods must show his license, registration and proof of insurance to police, but is not obligated to give a statement on the crash. His attorney Mark NeJame handed over the required documents to the troopers Sunday at Woods’ home, Montes said.
NeJame told CNN he stood by Woods’ statement and had no further comment.
“If we’re unable to meet with him, we’ll move on with our investigation,” Montes said. But she called the delays “very unusual, because it’s such a minor accident.”
State highway patrol vehicles were seen entering Woods’ subdivision Sunday afternoon, though they left less than an hour later.
Investigators had sought possible surveillance tapes of the accident from neighbors, but none were found, Montes said.
In his statement, Woods praised his wife Elin Nordegren, saying she “acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble.” Nordegren told police she used a golf club to break out the rear window of the vehicle, then pulled Woods from the SUV after she heard the accident from inside their home.
“This is a private matter, and I want to keep it that way.” And he added, “The only person responsible for the accident is me.”
Woods and his wife have two children, a 2-year-old and a baby born in February.
The statement did not address whether he would play in this week’s Chevron World Challenge in California. Woods is a four-time winner of the tournament, which helps raise money for Tiger Woods Foundation programs.
When asked whether Woods would attend the tournament, Steinberg told CNN it “has not been determined at this point in time.”
Via: CNN.com
