Newly-released bodycam footage appears to show Tiger Woods on the phone just moments after his car crash in Florida, before casually telling officers: ‘I was just talking with the president.’
Donald Trump is a long-time friend and ally of the golfer and it didn’t take long for the Commander-in-Chief to publicly back Woods after his recent DUI arrest.
The footage captures Woods wandering away from officers while still mid-call, with one cop trying to beckon him back.
‘We’ll get you to hang down here with us, please,’ the officer says, as Woods lingers nearby. Seconds later, the golfer wraps things up with a polite sign-off before returning to inform the cops of his chit-chat with POTUS.
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| Woods was filmed yawning repeatedly in the police car after his arrest (Picture: Martin County Sheriff’s Office) |
The crash itself had occurred just a few minutes earlier on a residential road in Jupiter Island, where Woods had been attempting to overtake another vehicle at speed.
According to his own account, distraction played a role. ‘I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden… boom!’ he told officers at the scene, describing the moment his Land Rover clipped a pressure washer trailer and rolled onto its side.
Police found him kneeling on the grass verge as they arrived. Investigators later said he had been travelling at ‘high speeds’ in a 30mph zone, though the exact figure wasn’t confirmed.
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| The golfer flipped his 4×4 (Picture: Martin County Sheriff’s Office/AP) |
Officers noted that Woods’ eyes were ‘bloodshot and glassy’ and his pupils ‘extremely dilated’, while a search uncovered two white pills marked ‘M367’ in his pocket.
The pills were identified as hydrocodone, an opioid used to treat severe pain. When asked about medication, Woods replied: ‘I take a few.’
A breathalyser test showed no alcohol in his system but Woods refused to provide a urine sample. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, alongside property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.
During a field sobriety test, officers said he was ‘limping and stumbling’ and was ultimately deemed unfit to drive. Sheriff John Budensiek later said that Woods had shown ‘signs of impairment’ at the scene, adding that investigators believe some form of medication or drug had been involved.
He also described Woods as ‘cooperative, but was not trying to incriminate himself.’
Further footage shows Woods in the back of a police car. He yawns repeatedly, hiccups and at one point appears to fall asleep, all while remaining silent.
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| Woods took a field sobriety test but refused to provide a urine sample (Picture: Martin County Sheriff’s Office/AP) |
In another moment caught on camera, Woods appears to reach for something in his pocket. ‘No, nothing in your mouth, please,’ an officer tells him.
Woods then produces a tube of chapstick and asks: ‘Am I allowed a lick of this?’ The reply is blunt: ‘Right now, no. It’s humid outside, you don’t need lip balm.’
Trump, for his part, has been firmly supportive of the 50-year-old. Speaking after the arrest, he said: ‘I think he’s doing great, he’s doing good. He tested negative for alcohol, as you know, and he is under a tremendous physical pressure from his various ailments… the back and the leg.’
He continued: ‘He lives a life of pain. He has a lot of pain. He’s an amazing guy. He’s an amazing athlete. He does have pain. He doesn’t have an alcohol problem, but he does have pain.’
Trump also described Woods as ‘a very close friend of mine,’ saying: ‘He’s an amazing person, an amazing man. But some difficulty. I don’t want to talk about it.’
- Steve Charnock
