Police obtained a search warrant to retrieve the “black box” from the luxury SUV in which Tiger Woods crashed — because a judge reportedly believed there was probable cause a crime may have been committed.
Law enforcement said the possible offense committed by the badly injured links legend is misdemeanor reckless driving, TMZ reported.
The search warrant – which doesn’t include the words “reckless driving” – prepared by the LA County Sheriff’s Department addressed probable cause, including the lack of skid marks, the objects struck by the vehicle, its extensive damage and apparent excessive speed, according to the outlet.
No specific crime was listed on the warrant, but the outlet noted that a judge can’t sign a search warrant unless there’s probable cause a crime had been committed, sources told TMZ.
One of two things may have led to the issuance of the warrant – a member of law enforcement discussed possible reckless driving with the judge or the judge alone determined the probable cause, according to the outlet, citing its sources.
The warrant said there was no evidence Tiger was driving impaired, TMZ reported.
Sheriff’s Deputy John Schloegl also has said investigators are trying to determine if a crime had been committed.
“If somebody is involved in a traffic collision, we’ve got to reconstruct the traffic collision. If there was any reckless driving, if somebody was on their cell phone or something like that. If there was no crime, we close out the case, and it was a regular traffic collision,” he told USA Today.
Woods was driving a 2021 Genesis GV80 alone when he veered across the median on Hawthorne Boulevard in Rancho Palos Verdes, went off the road and struck a tree.
The legendary golfer broke several bones in his lower right leg and is still recovering in the hospital.
A forensic car expert had told USA Today that it appeared Woods was not paying attention in the moments before the devastating crash.