JACKSONVILLE, Florida (AP) — Tiger Woods was injured when his sports utility vehicle struck a fire hydrant and a tree near his Orlando-area mansion in a gated Florida waterfront community early Friday.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the world’s top golfer hit the hydrant and then a tree after pulling out of his driveway in his 2009 Cadillac SUV.
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Woods spokesman Glenn Greenspan said the golfer was treated at Health Central Hospital and released in good condition. The accident report classified Woods’ injuries as serious, but patrol spokeswoman Kim Montes said troopers consider the injuries serious if they require more than minor medical attention.
The FHP said alcohol was not involved, though the accident remains under investigation and charges could be filed. No one else was in the car, Montes said.
The accident happened at 2:25 a.m., though the FHP did not release the accident report until nearly 12 hours later.
Gary Bruhn, mayor of the adjacent community of Windermere, said police from that village were among the first on the accident scene and saw Woods with cuts on his face.
Woods’ $2.4 million home is part of the exclusive Isleworth subdivision near Orlando, a community set on an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course and a chain of small lakes. The neighborhood, which is fortified with high brick walls and has its own security force, is home to CEOs and other sports stars such as the NBA’s Shaquille O’Neal.
Woods has won 14 majors and 82 times around the world, most recently at the Australian Masters on Nov. 15.
He was to host his tournament, the Chevron World Challenge, on Monday at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California.
He won six times this year after missing eight months recovering from reconstructive surgery on his left knee. Even though he failed to win a major, Woods said he considered this a successful year because he did not know how his knee would respond.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
