Tiger Woods gets traffic ticket for accident

ORLANDO, Fla., (Reuters) – Tiger Woods, the world’s top golfer, was slapped with a traffic ticket for careless  driving yesterday, four days after driving his Cadillac SUV  into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his Florida home.

No allegations of domestic violence were leveled against  Woods, a powerhouse marketer and perhaps the world’s richest  athlete with a fortune estimated at $1 billion, and the  investigation into his accident last Friday has been closed,  the Florida Highway Patrol said.

“The investigation has determined that Mr. Woods is at  fault in the crash,” FHP Major Cindy Williams told a news  conference in Orlando.

Williams said no criminal charges would be filed against  Woods. He could be fined up to $164 and points against his  driver’s license.

Woods has declined to speak to police about the accident,  leaving questions about the circumstances of the accident in  the early hours of Friday. Amid a swirl of speculation over the  details of the incident, media reports have suggested Woods had  argued with his Swedish wife, Elin Nordegren, that night.

“There are no claims of domestic violence by any  individual,” FHP Sergeant Kim Montes said.

Citing injuries from the accident, Woods pulled out on  Monday from the Chevron World Challenge golf tournament in  Thousand Oaks, California, this week, an event he has hosted  for nine years.

Woods said in a written statement on Sunday that the  accident was his fault. He called irresponsible the “false,  unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating  about my family and me.”

Celebrity-watching media outlets have suggested Woods and  his wife had argued before the crash, and the National Enquirer  tabloid has reported Woods had an extra-marital relationship.  The woman named in that report has denied a relationship with  Woods.

NEIGHBOURS’ LAWYER SPEAKS OUT

A lawyer for the next-door neighbors who called emergency  services on the night of the accident said on Tuesday that  Woods’ injuries did not appear to be from a beating, but were  consistent with a minor car accident.

The lawyer, Bill Sharpe, held a news conference in Orlando  to speak on behalf of Linda and Jerome Adams, Woods’ neighbours  in the exclusive gated community of Isleworth, near Orlando.

“None of his injuries appeared like he had been beat up by  his wife,” Sharpe said. The injuries were “consistent with a  minor accident and inconsistent with him being beat up. That’s  the question everybody wants to know.” The Florida Highway Patrol said it was not pursuing Woods’  medical records for the minor injuries he suffered. A media  report had said that investigators were seeking a search  warrant for the hospital where he was treated. “It was determined that there was insufficient evidence  available to issue a subpoena for any additional medical  information that might exist in this case,” Montes said.

Woods, 33, is a huge draw on the PGA tour as he chases Jack  Nicklaus’ record for victories in major tournaments and the  unofficial title of best golfer ever. He has won 71 times on  the PGA tour in a glittering career that includes 14 major  wins.

He made a triumphant return to professional golf in  February after being sidelined for eight months following  reconstructive knee surgery, and finished on top of the FedEx  Cup standings for the season.