Tiger Woods Resolves Florida Crash Case With Five-Year Driving Ban

Tiger Woods pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving following a rollover crash near his Florida home in March. He initially faced a driving under the influence charge and had previously pleaded not guilty, but reached a plea agreement in Martin County court on September 2, 2026. The judge ordered Woods’s driving licence to be suspended for five years. Woods, 50, said little during the hearing. He arrived at the courthouse with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, who sat behind him. The crash occurred on a residential road on Jupiter Island when Woods’s SUV struck a truck and rolled onto its side. Neither Woods nor the other driver was injured, but police estimated that his Land Rover caused approximately $5,000 in damage to the truck. According to a sheriff’s report, deputies found two pain pills in Woods’s pocket and observed signs of impairment. Woods’s breathalyser test was negative, but he refused to provide a urine sample. He told a deputy that he had been looking down at his phone and changing the radio station when he hit the truck. The incident is the latest setback in Woods’s career. The influential golfer has undergone multiple back and knee surgeries, been involved in four crashes, and experienced problems related to pain medication. He took breaks from professional golf after a 2009 crash and the latest incident, and has not returned to tournament play. Court records say he left the United States for treatment at an inpatient facility. Woods made a public appearance in June after returning from treatment, when he presented the PGA Tour’s plans to revise its schedule for 2028. Despite his arrest, he remained chairman of the tour’s Future Competition Committee and did not take questions at that event.

Tiger Woods has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in Martin County, Florida, over a rollover crash that initially led to misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and refusing to submit to drug testing. Under the agreement, Woods agreed not to contest a reckless-driving charge, replacing the more serious original allegation. He received a five-year suspension of his driving licence and a $1,000 (£742) fine. Woods was arrested after the March crash. Although he passed a breathalyser test and told officers he had not consumed alcohol, he declined further testing, including a urinalysis for other drugs. He initially pleaded not guilty. Police said they suspected his normal faculties had been impaired by an unknown substance. Two white pills found in his pocket were later identified as hydrocodone, an opioid commonly prescribed for pain. Woods told officers that he took several prescription medications earlier that morning, although the names were redacted from released body-camera footage. No one was injured, but Woods had to crawl out through the passenger door after his vehicle clipped a truck and overturned. In the footage, he calmly told officers that he had looked down at his phone before the crash. Following the incident, Woods said he was stepping away to seek treatment and focus on his health and recovery. Florida State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl said the case had been handled like any other defendant’s, despite Woods’s celebrity status. The incident was Woods’s second arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. The article presents the legal resolution, details from the crash investigation, and Woods’s stated intention to seek treatment.

Golf star Tiger Woods pleaded no contest to a reckless driving charge in Martin County, Florida, stemming from a rollover crash in March. Woods had previously pleaded not guilty to a driving-under-the-influence charge. The case followed an incident on Jupiter Island in which his SUV clipped a truck and rolled onto its side on a residential road. Neither Woods nor the other driver was injured, but police estimated that his Land Rover caused about $5,000 US in damage to the truck. According to a sheriff’s report, deputies found two pain pills in Woods’s pocket and observed signs of impairment. Woods tested negative on a Breathalyzer but refused to provide a urine sample. He later told a deputy that he had been looking down at his phone and changing the radio station when he struck the truck. Woods, 50, appeared in a Martin County courtroom and said little during the hearing. He arrived with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, the former daughter-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. The article does not specify the sentence or other conditions associated with the no-contest plea. The incident is the latest setback in Woods’s career. The influential golfer has undergone multiple back and knee surgeries and has previously been involved in several car crashes, as well as struggles involving dependence on pain medication. He took time away from the golf tour after a 2009 crash and again following the latest incident. He has not returned to tournament play.