Billionaire golf legend Tiger Woods cooperated with police after his Friday afternoon car crash, submitting to a breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol use, according to multiple media reports. But when he was taken to Martin County Jail in Florida, Woods refused to take a urine test following the crash, the reports say. He was arrested in connection with a driving under the influence charge.
Woods was also hit with a charge of refusing the urinalysis.
Refusing to take the test, under a Florida state law that took effect last October, means that Woods now faces a possible 60-day jail sentence and suspension of his driver’s license, according to a report by the Tallahassee Democrat. So why would Woods refuse the test, especially after a breathalyzer showed that alcohol was not a factor in the crash?
An insider who either is or was a Woods employee revealed the alleged reason in an interview with Britain’s Daily Mail published late Friday. The reason given by the insider, if accurate, raises new questions about why Woods, who has a history of auto accidents, was driving at all.
Police Statement Details Woods’ Refusal to Take Urine Test
Describing Woods as “lethargic,” Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said that Woods, who was alone in the Range Rover that flipped onto its side in the crash, showed “signs of impairment,” according to a report by WPTV News in West Palm Beach, Florida.
“Our DUI investigators came to the scene,” Budensiek told reporters, as quoted by WPTV. “They did several tests on him. He was placed under arrest and taken to the Martin County Jail.”
The sheriff said that though Woods was not intoxicated by alcohol, he appeared to be under the influence of “some type of medication or drug.” But because Woods refused the urine test despite the potential penalties, “we will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on at the time of the crash.”
Police did not find any evidence of drugs or medications inside Woods’ Range Rover, the sheriff said.
Insider Claim: Woods Takes ‘Heavy Doses’ of Opioid Drugs
But the Woods employee who spoke to the Mail offered a potential reason Woods refused the test. The insider said that Woods does not indulge in “illegal drugs,” saying, “I know the guy, that’s just not what he does.”
But prescription drugs may be a different story.
The Woods insider “believes Woods refused to provide a urine sample because he has taken heavy doses of prescription opioids from his repeated injuries,” the Mail reported.
“He has been on tons of pain medication for years,” the insider revealed, according to the Daily Mail account.
In a highly decorated professional golf career that now spans 30 years, the 50-year-old Woods has suffered repeated injuries and has undergone at least six surgeries on his back, according to an ESPN report. He has also injured both of his Achilles tendons and had surgeries on his left knee and right ankle.
Tiger Woods’ Reason for Refusing Urine Test After Crash Reportedly Revealed