What injuries did Tiger Woods suffer in the car accident?
TIGER Woods has slowly recovered after his horror car crash in February of 2021.
The 47-year-old golf legend has returned to his beloved sport and is currently taking part in the PGA Tour's 2023 Genesis Invitational.
What injuries did Tiger Woods suffer in the car accident?
Woods broke both his legs after rolling his car in a serious single-vehicle accident in California on February 23, 2021.
He was forced to undergo surgery to fix two fractures in his right leg and a shattered ankle after his car flipped and rolled off the road.
The golf-great reportedly hit a raised central reservation at 'speed', smashing through a street sign and hitting a tree before flipping his Genesis GV80 SUV several times.
Police later confirmed Woods was 'not drunk or on meds', but executed a warrant to obtain the black box from the vehicle.
At the time of the crash, Deputy Carlos Gonzalez from the LA County Sheriff's Department said Woods was "fortunate to be alive" after the high-speed crash.
In a statement posted on the star's Twitter account on February 24, Anish Mahajan, the chief medical officer and interim CEO of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, detailed his condition.
It said: "Open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia.
"Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of screws and pins.
"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."
On February 26, an update on Woods' condition was shared on his Twitter account. The statement said the golfer had "moved to Cedar-Sinai Medical Center and received follow-up procedures on his injuries this morning."
The statement said the procedures were "successful" and he was "recovering and in good spirits."
"Tiger and his family want to thank you all for the wonderful support and messages they have received over the past few days," the statement continued.
The statement said the family did not have any further updates at the time.
“Thank you for your continued privacy,” it closed.
Woods was found conscious, "calm and lucid" in the driver's seat of the vehicle before he was cut out of the mangled car.
He was pulled from the wreckage after firefighters were forced to smash the windscreen with an axe.
According to LA sheriffs, officials said that Woods was communicative after the crash, which occurred shortly before 7.15am Tuesday.
Officials said that Woods was taken to "the most appropriate" trauma center, rather than the closest one.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby said a pry bar and axe were used to extract Woods from the vehicle.
The fire chief said that responders found "no evidence of impairment" but that signs of narcotics use, alcohol, and other substances would be subject to an investigation.
The crash occurred in a notorious accident-prone area.
The $49,925 vehicle was being promoted by the golf tournament he was in at the weekend.
Where was Tiger Woods driving to?
Woods was in the area for the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at the Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades before the incident happened.
Woods agreed to stay a further two days in LA to shoot media campaigns with Golf Digest at GolfTV at Rolling Hills Country Club.
reported Woods was traveling to meet New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to allegedly take part in a photo shoot with the two NFL stars.
On February 22, he posed for pictures with players such as David Spade and Dwyane Wade.
Spade uploaded the photograph on Twitter, with the caption: "Golf lesson with this guy today. And you know what? He’s not bad… He picks things up very quickly. Good listener."
He also made his first public appearance just days after undergoing back surgery.
Woods provided an update about his condition with CBS during the final round of the Genesis Invitational where he acted as a tournament host.
Woods said: "I'm feeling fine, little bit stiff.
"Have one more MRI scheduled to see if the annulus has scarred over finally, and then I can start doing more activities.
"Still in the gym, still doing the mundane stuff that you have to do for rehab, the little things before you can start gravitating towards something a little more."
Woods was left unable to play or practice after his surgery in late December 2021.
Has Tiger Woods been in a car crash before?
This is the third time Woods has been involved in a car investigation.
The most notorious was the early morning after Thanksgiving in 2009 when his SUV ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree.
That was the start of shocking revelations that he had been cheating on his wife with multiple women.
Woods lost major corporate sponsorships, went to a rehabilitation clinic in Mississippi, and did not return to golf for five months.
In May 2017, Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car parked awkwardly on the side of the road.
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He was arrested on a DUI charge and said later he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medicine for his back pain.
Woods later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic to get help with prescription medication and a sleep disorder.