Tiger Woods says he’ll seek treatment after pleading not guilty to DUI
Tiger Woods said he’ll step away and seek treatment on Tuesday, days after his vehicle crashed in Florida and he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. “This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery,” he said in a post on the social media platform X. Woods pleaded not guilty in his driving under the influence case in Florida on Tuesday, hours after a sheriff’s report said he had pain pills in his pocket and showed signs of impairment at a crash last week.
The online court docket for Martin County, Florida, showed Woods entered a written plea of not guilty and planned to waive his appearance during an arraignment hearing next month. Woods’ eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his pupils dilated and he had opioid pills on him when interviewed at the scene of the crash , according to the arrest report released by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Woods’ movements were slow and lethargic , he was sweating as he talked to deputies and told them he had taken prescription medication earlier in the morning, according to the report.
Woods told deputies he had been looking at his phone and fiddling with the radio before he clipped a truck in front of him, the report said. Deputies found two white pills, which were identified as the opioid hydrocodone used to treat pain, in his pocket, the report said. When asked by a deputy if he took any prescription medications, Woods said, “I take a few.
” Woods’ defense attorney, Douglas Duncan, didn’t respond to an email and phone call after the plea was entered on Tuesday. Woods’ agent at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, has not responded to multiple messages seeking comment. The golfer was traveling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road on Jupiter Island when his Land Rover clipped the truck and rolled onto its side, according to the sheriff’s office, which noted Woods showed signs of impairment.
The truck had $5,000 in damage, according to the report. The truck driver and another person helped Woods out of his vehicle, with the golfer needing to climb out from the passenger side. Neither Woods nor the truck driver were injured.