Golfer Tiger Woods delays police questions over crash

(BBC) Tiger Woods will not speak to police about his car crash outside his Florida home on Friday until today, his agent has told police.

The golfer was found semi-conscious with facial injuries after his car reportedly hit a fire hydrant and tree.

Officers were told Woods’ wife Elin had used a golf club to break the car’s rear window and help him out.

The 14-time major champion was admitted to hospital and later released. Police had planned to talk to him on Saturday.

The incident occurred in the suburb of Isleworth, an exclusive area near Orlando, at 0225 local time (0725 GMT) on Friday.

Florida Highway Patrol Sgt Kim Montes said two troopers had attempted to contact Woods on Friday evening, but his wife said he was sleeping and they had agreed to come back the next day.  In a later statement, she said Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, had said that the couple were not available to speak to police yesterday.

“Troopers were asked to return tomorrow (Sunday),” an FHP statement said.

“It is unusual that we haven’t gotten a statement,” said Sgt Montes.

“This just delays us to getting closer to the completion of the investigation. We’ll work with them. The investigation will continue no matter what.”

The authorities also said they expected to release today recordings of the 911 emergency call made to police.

Woods, who has been married for five years and has two young children, has recently been the subject of tabloid allegations about his private life.

Asked about reports the couple had been arguing in the hours leading up to the crash, the police said they were treating the incident as a traffic accident, not a domestic issue.

‘Lacerations’

According to the highway patrol, alcohol was not a factor in the incident.

Chief Daniel Saylor of the Windermere Police Department said: “From what we understand, his wife came out of the house when she heard the accident, him hitting the fire hydrant, (and) used a golf club – that’s what we were told – to break out the rear window to gain entrance into the vehicle, removed him from the vehicle and laid him down in the street.