Tiger Woods In Surgery After Terrifying Car Crash: He Was ‘Extracted’ With An ‘Axe’

Tiger Woods reportedly sustained ‘serious’ leg injuries after being involved in a roll-over car wreck, and the photos of the damage are absolutely terrifying.

Update: ( 2/24/21 12:40am ET): Tiger’s team has released a statement via Twitter on how the golfing legend is doing following his SUV crash. It noted that he suffered “significant orthopedic injuries to his lower right extremity (leg) that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopedic trauma specialists at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.” He had “comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones” that 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.” The post noted that Tiger is “currently awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room,” while going on the thank his doctors, as well as the L.A. County Sheriff’s and Fire Departments for their rescue efforts and treatment.

pic.twitter.com/vZitnFV0YA

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 24, 2021

Update 9:48pm ET: TMZ has obtained video of Tiger behind the wheel of his 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV just seven minutes before his rollover accident was called in to 911. His vehicle is seen driving uphill along a wide bend in Hawthorne Blvd. at 7:05am, with a grey minivan in front of him. The location was about five miles from where his wreck occurred, which was called in to 911 at 7:12am by a neighbor who lived near his crash scene. Tiger’s SUV didn’t appear to be speeding at the time the video was taken.

Update: 8:40pm ET: Sources tell ESPN that “Woods has crush injuries of both lower legs, including a compound fracture and a shattered ankle. A crush injury occurs when a heavy object puts pressure onto a body part.” The golfer has been undergoing surgery at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he was taken after his morning rollover SUV crash which injured both of his legs.

Update: 5:05 PM ET: Photos of the damaged 2021 Genesis SUV have been made available. “Thankfully the interior was more or less in tact, which gave him the cushion to survive. Otherwise, it would have been a fatal crash,” LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters at a 3pm PST news conference. Contrary to earlier reports, an axe was used to break the front windshield and rescue Tiger, and the jaws of life were not deployed. While the golf legend suffered serious injuries to both of his legs, “There were no other life threatening injuries to my knowledge,” Sheriff Villanueva told reporters. Tiger’s steely determination was there even as he was trapped inside his SUV.  The first responder on scene, Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, revealed that when he reached Tiger’s vehicle, “He was calm and lucid, I asked him his name and he said it was Tiger,” adding “He didn’t seem concerned about his injuries.” It was also noted at the news conference that Tiger was wearing a seat belt when the accident happened, and that the driver’s side airbag had successfully deployed during the crash.

Update: 4:31 PM ET: “We have been made aware of Tiger Woods’ car accident today,” the PGA Tour said in a statement. “We are awaiting further information when he comes out of surgery. On behalf of the PGA TOUR and our players, Tiger is in our prayers and will have our full support as he recovers.”

Update 4:25 PM ET: Bill Melugin of FOX LA reports that “Law enforcement source tells me that as of right now, there is nothing “salacious” about the Tiger Woods crash. No charges pending. He went off an embankment and rolled and it is currently just an investigation for a bad traffic accident as of *right now*” He later tweeted, “I’m told Tiger Woods was conscious and speaking to deputies when they arrived on scene. I’m also told Sheriff Alex Villanueva will be holding a press conference at the Lomita Sheriff’s station at 3pm.”

NEW: I’m told Tiger Woods was conscious and speaking to deputies when they arrived on scene. I’m also told Sheriff Alex Villanueva will be holding a press conference at the Lomita Sheriff’s station at 3pm. @FOXLA

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) February 23, 2021

Update 3:00 PM ET: Tiger Woods suffered “multiple” leg injuries, his agent, Mark Steinberg, told Golf Digest. “He is currently in surgery, and we thank you for your privacy and support.”

Original: Tiger Woods, 45, was involved with a “single-vehicle roll-over traffic collision on” Tuesday, February 23, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The accident took place “on the border of Rolling Hills Estate and Rancho Palos Verdes,” around 7:12 AM PST. The vehicle was “traveling northbound on Hawthorne Boulevard at Blackhorse Road when it crashed.” Unfortunately, this was a major wreck, and the LASD reported it “sustained major damage.” Tiger, the “driver and sole occupant” in the car, was “extracted from the wreck with the ‘jaws of life.'”  It is currently unclear what caused the accident.

This morning @LMTLASD responded to a roll-over collision in which @TigerWoods was injured. Please see our statement… pic.twitter.com/cSWOxKZC1w

— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) February 23, 2021

After the Los Angeles County firefighters and paramedics rescued Tiger from the crash, he was “then transported to a local hospital by ambulance for his injuries. The traffic investigation is being conducted by investigators from LASD Lomita Station.” CNN reported that Tiger has “moderate to critical” injuries. HollywoodLife has reached out to Tiger’s camp for a comment on the situation and will update the post with any new information when it becomes available.

LA County Fire tells us Tiger Woods was hospitalized with “moderate to critical” injuries after crash in Palos Verdes https://t.co/JMQaSze6qw

— Jon Passantino (@passantino) February 23, 2021

Sadly, Tiger Woods has a history of vehicle incidents. He infamously wrecked his SUV in 2009 after getting into a fight with his then-wife, Elin Nordegren. In 2017, Tiger was arrested in Juniper, Florida, over Memorial Day for driving under the influence. “I understand the severity of what I did and take full responsibility for my actions,” the PGA legend said in a statement afterward, “I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn’t realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly. I would like to apologize with all my heart to my family, friends, and the fans.”

“I expect more from myself, too. I will do everything in my power to ensure this never happens again. I fully cooperated with law enforcement, and I would like to personally thank the representatives of the Jupiter Police Department and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for their professionalism.”

This post is updating….