TIGER WOODS cheated death after ploughing off a road in a horror car smash which left him with serious injuries to both legs.
The 45-year-old golf legend was pulled from the wreckage of his 4×4 before being transferred to a hospital by paramedics following the crash.
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He had emergency surgery last night after firefighters cut him conscious from the wreckage in Rancho Palos Verdes, near Los Angeles, shortly after 7am local time on Tuesday.
Doctors said he suffered ‘comminuted’ fractures in the upper and lower parts of the tibia and fibula – meaning the breaks had led to bone splintering.
They fitted metal rods, screws and pins to his shattered right shinbone and calf bone following the crash.
He was this morning said to be “awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the golfing star was “lucky to be alive.”
The golf star wore a seat belt which helped him survive, along with the airbag that activated, a sheriff’s deputy at the scene said during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the front end and bumper of Woods’ vehicle were “totally destroyed.”
“The interior was more or less intact, which gave him the cushion to survive, otherwise it would have been a fatal crash,” he said.
Woods was conscious but “he was not able to get up, no, that was not an option,” Villanueva added.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby said a pry bar and ax were used to extract Woods from the vehicle.
Osby said Woods “was able to communicate and he was conscious, I’ll leave it at that.”
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.
Woods was transported in stable condition with serious injuries to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center because he was extracted from the vehicle and it was the closest trauma center to the crash site, Osby said.
Anish Mahajan, the center’s Chief Medical Officer, said: “Mr Woods suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right leg extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopedic trauma specialists at Harbor-UCLA Medical Centre, a level 1 trauma center.”
The sports legend also suffered fractures to his upper and lower tibia and fibula, which were stabilised with a rod, he added.
Screws and pins were used on other injuries on his foot and ankle bones, the statement added.
Other injuries included trauma to the muscle and soft tissue of the leg.
Muscles surrounding the bones were cut to relieve swelling, Mahajan said, describing Woods’ injuries as “significant”.
A statement on the golf star’s Twitter account this morning said he was “awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room” after emergency surgery on his lower right leg and ankle.
Woods was en route to play golf with NFL stars Drew Brees and Justin Herbert when he crashed.
The golf star was staying at The Terranea resort where the TV show Grown-ish was being filmed, the resort confirmed to SE.
A crew member said Woods “really did nearly hit the director’s car, too, when he left this morning, which shook us up because of Tiger crashing his car before.”
The crew member said it was “just a coincidence that he and us are at the resort at the same time, he isn’t part of the production at all.”
They were “upset” by the crash since Woods’ surgery “sounds major from what we’ve heard,” the crew member said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Woods was the driver of a vehicle involved in a roll-over traffic collision just after 7am local time.
According to a 911 dispatch call, obtained by SE, Woods was trapped in the vehicle which was “off the side of the road.”
Footage from the scene showed a car on its side with the front of the vehicle crushed.
Tiger was driving a Genesis GV80, a car being promoted by the golf tournament he was playing in at the weekend.
It appeared to have crashed in a grassy area, not on a road and , according to KABC, and the air bags were deployed.
Cops speaking on Fox News said that deputies arrived at the scene within six minutes and found the vehicle overturned in shrubs.
The spokesperson also believed that a resident heard the collision and alerted the police.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Fire Department told AJC that a second crash took place when a vehicle apparently stopped to help Woods.
However, the incident was reportedly very minor and no one was hurt.
The star’s agent, Mark Steinberg, said in a statement: “Tiger Woods was in a single-car accident this morning in California where he suffered multiple leg injuries.
“He is currently in surgery and we thank you for your privacy and support.”
Woods was in the area for the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at the Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades before the incident happened.
Earlier this week, he posed for pictures with stars such as David Spade and Dwyane Wade.
Spade uploaded the photograph onto 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 on Sunday after undergoing back surgery in January.
The star underwent a procedure called a microdiscectomy, which was his fifth back surgery, to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching a nerve.
Woods provided an update about his condition with CBS Sports during the final round of the Genesis Invitational.
“I’m feeling fine, little bit stiff,” Woods said. “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.”
When being asked what he has done golf-wise since undergoing the major surgery, Woods joked “I’ve lengthened my putter.”
“I don’t have to bend over as far. I’ve gone to the same length as my sand wedge.”
He appeared exhausted in the interview, as golfers and fans pointed out on Twitter.
Following the news of the crash, several celebrities rushed to social media to send their well wishes to the star.
Former President Donald Trump, who golfed with Woods multiple times while he was in office, predicted: “He’s gonna be back, I have no doubt about it. He’s gonna be back.”
Trump added that Woods has “overcome a lot” and will “continue to have an incredible life.”
“But now he’ll recover from this. It’s pretty bad on the legs, I understand,” Trump said on Fox News.
“He’ll figure out a way. He’s a wonderful person.”
Trump’s adviser, Jason Miller, earlier revealed that the former president made the following statement: “Get well soon, Tiger. You are a true champion!”
Ex-President Barack Obama on Tuesday night tweeted that he was sending prayers to Woods and his family.
“Here’s to a speedy recovery for the GOAT of golf,” Obama wrote.
“If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s to never count Tiger out.”
Alex Rodriguez, a former American baseball player best known as also known as A-Rod, also took to Twitter after news broke about Woods’ accident.
He tweeted: “Praying for my brother @TigerWoods as we all anxiously await more news. Thinking of him and his entire family.”
Speaking just minutes before a press conference, American professional golfer Justin Thomas said he was “sick to his stomach” after learning about the crash.
“It hurts to see one of my closest friends get in an accident and I just hope he’s alright,” Thomas told reporters.
“I’m just worried for his kids, you know. I’m sure they’re struggling.”
Woods’ ex-lovers Rachel Uchitel and Lindsey Vonn expressed concern over his accident.
Uchitel, one of Woods’ alleged mistresses, said she was “shaken up” and really worried because “he’s already had trouble with his body up until this point.”
Vonn, who dated Woods for nearly three years until they mutually broke up in 2015, tweeted, “Praying for TW right now.”
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.
Woods lost major corporate sponsorship, 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.
He was arrested on a DUI charge and said later he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medicine 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.
