Tiger Woods was reported to have phoned Donald Trump from the roadside following a car accident that led to his arrest, according to footage released by Florida authorities, The Telegraph reported. The material, which includes body-camera recordings from last Friday, shows Woods in handcuffs seated in the back of a police vehicle, at one point appearing to briefly fall asleep.
Additional video published by TMZ showed the 50-year-old golfer walking along a side road before being called back by an officer. The Telegraph report added that as Woods returned, he appeared to be on a phone call, saying: “Thank you so much, all right bye,” before telling the officer, “Yeah, I was talking to the president.”
Woods is currently in a relationship with Vanessa Trump, the former daughter-in-law of Trump and ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. The former president had earlier commented on the incident, saying: “I feel so bad. He’s got some difficulty – there was an accident, and that’s all I know. A very close friend of mine, he’s an amazing person, an amazing man. But some difficulty. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Police footage from the arrest shows Woods, who has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence, repeatedly hiccuping during the 17-minute drive to the station. The released material combines body-camera footage from the arresting officer with video captured inside the patrol car.
At the crash site, Woods is seen kneeling beside his overturned Land Rover, explaining: “I looked down at my phone and all of a sudden, boom.” He is dressed in a blue polo shirt from his Sun Day Red line, along with sunglasses and a backwards cap.
Officers at the scene also checked on the driver of the other vehicle involved. “You sure you’re all right boss?” one officer asks. “Yeah, I’m fine, it was so like crazy,” the driver replies.
In another segment, Woods is instructed to remove his cap and sunglasses and sit on the front bumper of a police car. When asked how much he had consumed, he responds “none.” Questioned about medication, he says: “I took a few,” before listing substances that are redacted in the footage. During a sobriety test, an officer repeatedly instructs him not to move his head as he continues to hiccup.
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A later clip captures the moment officers decide to detain him. “You’re all done, you’re going to stand up for me, you’re going to face my car, place your hands behind your back. Place them behind your back – there you go. So, at this time, I do believe your normal faculties are impaired under an unknown substance, so at this time you’re under arrest for DUI,” an officer says.
Woods appears surprised, asking: “I’m being arrested?” “Yes sir,” comes the reply.
Officers then search him, removing personal items including AirPods, cash, a tin of electrolytes, tablets and lip balm, placing the pills into an evidence bag.
In the final footage, Woods is placed in the back of a patrol car with a towel over his head, where he remains during the journey to the Martin County Jail. During the ride, he is seen yawning, hiccuping, and at one point briefly falling asleep before regaining awareness.
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