US Media: "Tiger Woods Likely Pressed Accelerator Pedal, Not Brake, During Accident"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Reports have emerged suggesting that American "Golf Emperor" Tiger Woods, who underwent leg surgery after a car rollover accident, appeared to have pressed the accelerator pedal instead of the brake at the time of the accident.

On the 22nd (local time), the U.S. entertainment media TMZ, citing police sources investigating the accident, reported, "There is no evidence that Woods tried to reduce the car's speed," and "Investigators believe Woods did nothing to prevent the vehicle collision."

Investigators examined the Genesis Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) GV80 that Woods was driving at the time of the accident on the 24th of last month, along with surveillance cameras at the accident scene, and reportedly secured evidence that Woods pressed the accelerator pedal instead of the brake, causing overspeeding.

According to the Los Angeles (LA) County Sheriff's Department, which is handling the investigation of Woods' car accident, the accident occurred on a downhill curved section.

Therefore, if the police's presumed cause of the accident reported by TMZ is correct, it means that Woods did not press the brake just before the accident on the curved road but rather pressed the accelerator pedal, increasing the speed.

TMZ raised the question, "All of this leads to questions," and wondered, "Could Woods have lost consciousness just before the collision?"

Earlier, the police announced in a briefing immediately after the accident that there was no evidence Woods had taken drugs or consumed alcohol. The police also did not proceed with blood tests to check for alcohol consumption.

However, in a later statement submitted to the court, the police revealed that the first witness who found Woods stated that Woods was unconscious at the time.

Additionally, Woods told the police that he did not know why the accident happened, both at the accident scene and after being urgently transported to the hospital, and that he had no memory of driving.

Medical experts in trauma fields say it is not uncommon for patients who have suffered head trauma in car accidents to lose consciousness or experience memory loss.

The speculation that Woods may have lost consciousness just before the accident had also been raised previously by foreign media.

Some foreign media outlets such as USA Today and Fox News reported earlier this month, based on opinions from vehicle forensic experts, that Woods might have dozed off at the time of the accident.

They suggested that Woods failed to reduce speed in time due to drowsy driving on the downhill curved section, ultimately causing the rollover accident after crossing the median barrier and tumbling.

The police have secured the GV80's black box containing driving information at the time of the accident and are investigating the accident details more precisely but have not yet officially announced the cause of the accident.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.