Tiger Woods Accepts Five-Year Driving Ban in Florida Crash Case

Tiger Woods entered a plea agreement to a reckless-driving charge in a Florida court on Wednesday, bringing a significant change in the case arising from a rollover crash near his home in March. The Associated Press reported that Woods appeared in Martin County, north of Palm Beach County, after previously pleading not guilty to a driving-under-the-influence charge.

Watch the highlights:

BBC Sport reported that the agreement carries a five-year driving ban and a $1,000 fine. The AP described the court action as a plea agreement to reckless driving. The available reports did not detail every condition imposed by the court, so the outcome is limited here to the terms confirmed by those outlets.

The case began after Woods was arrested when his Land Rover clipped a truck and rolled onto its side on a residential road on Jupiter Island. According to the AP, a sheriff report said deputies found two pain pills in his pocket and observed signs of impairment. A breath test was negative, while Woods declined to provide a urine sample.

Neither Woods nor the other driver was injured, officials told the AP. A police report put the damage to the truck at $5,000. The AP also reported that Woods told a deputy he had been looking down at his phone and changing the radio station when his vehicle struck the truck.

The reckless-driving agreement resolves the immediate court proceeding without establishing through a trial the original allegation of driving under the influence. Reporting on the hearing indicates that the charge was reduced, while the five-year license suspension substantially limits Woods away from the course. No additional sporting timetable was announced as part of Wednesday’s proceeding.

Woods, 50, has not returned to tournament competition since taking leave after the crash, according to the AP. The 15-time major champion has dealt with repeated back and knee operations and the consequences of previous vehicle crashes during the later stages of his career. Wednesday’s hearing addressed the March incident and its legal consequences; it did not provide a date for any return to competitive golf.