Tiger Woods Avoids Jail After Pleading Guilty to DUI Charge Following Car Crash

• Tiger Woods appeared at Martin County Courthouse in Stuart, Florida, on Wednesday to enter his guilty plea
• The golf superstar initially faced a DUI charge, but prosecutors agreed to reduce the charges under a plea deal
• A judge warned Woods he would return to jail immediately if caught driving during his five-year suspension

Golf superstar Tiger Woods pleaded guilty to careless and reckless driving on Wednesday at the Martin County Courthouse in Stuart, Florida, following a rollover crash on a residential road in March. As part of the sentence, his driver's licence was suspended for five years.

Judge Darren Steele issued a stark warning to the 15-time major champion during the brief hearing. "If you were to drive for any reason at all you would go immediately back to jail," the judge told Woods.

**Plea Deal Drops DUI Charge**

Woods had originally faced a charge of driving under the influence, which carries heavier legal consequences. Under the terms of a plea agreement, prosecutors dropped the DUI count in exchange for his guilty plea to the lesser charges of careless and reckless driving.

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The crash occurred on 27 March, when Woods's vehicle clipped a truck towing a trailer and flipped onto its side while he was attempting to overtake on a residential road in Florida. Authorities confirmed he had not consumed alcohol, but investigators concluded he appeared to be impaired at the time of the incident.

**Woods Had Painkillers, Refused Urine Test**

Two pills containing hydrocodone, an opioid painkiller, were found in Woods's pocket following the crash. He declined to provide a urine sample for analysis, after which he was charged, taken into custody and later released on bond.

Woods has undergone numerous surgical procedures in recent years, including multiple back operations and extensive surgery on serious leg injuries sustained in a separate car crash in California in 2021. Since the Florida incident, he has reportedly travelled outside the United States to receive treatment at an inpatient facility, with reports indicating the clinic is based in Switzerland.

Source: Briefly News