The world’s top golfer said he wanted to keep the details about the accident private but a Florida Highway Patrol officer said charges still were pending.
Woods hit a fire hydrant and tree as he pulled his Cadillac Escalade out of the driveway of his house at about 2:25 a.m. EST (0725 GMT) on Friday, the Florida Highway Patrol said. He was taken to the hospital with injuries and released.
“This situation is my fault and it’s obviously embarrassing to my family and me,” Woods, 33, said on his official website (http://web.tigerwoods.com).
“I’m human and I’m not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn’t happen again.
“This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.”
Woods’ lawyer said yesterday that a scheduled interview at the golfer’s home with Florida troopers had been canceled. It was the third day in a row that the Florida Highway Patrol had been denied the chance to question Woods on how his SUV had struck a fire hydrant and a neighbor’s tree.
“Just after 1:00 p.m. (EDT) (1800 GMT), lawyer Mark Nejame contacted the Florida Highway Patrol to inform us that he is representing Tiger Woods,” Kim Montes, a sergeant with the FHP’s Orlando division, said in a statement.
“Mark Nejame stated that the interview that was scheduled for today has been canceled. The traffic crash remains under investigation and charges are pending.”
When police arrived at Woods’ home on Friday shortly after the accident, the golfer was bleeding from the mouth and was “in and out of it for several minutes,” Windermere Police Chief Daniel Saylor told CNN on Friday.
Woods’ Swedish wife, Elin Nordegren, used a golf club to smash a window of his SUV to get him out, Saylor said.
In his statement yesterday, Woods paid tribute to his wife’s actions.
“My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble,” he said. “She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.
“This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be,” added Woods, who has had two young children with Nordegren since they married in 2004.
Woods, a winner of 14 major titles, is the greatest golfer of his generation and arguably the best of all time. Forbes magazine said in September that his FedEx Cup triumph, with its $10 million prize, had made him the first billionaire athlete.
He has lucrative endorsement deals with Nike <NKE.N>, AT&T <ATT.N>, Gillette and Gatorade.
Woods is scheduled to host his annual Chevron World Challenge tournament in Thousand Oaks, California, next week. It starts on Thursday and Woods was expected to hold a news conference tomorrow.
