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Tiger Woods handed 5-year driving ban after accepting plea deal linked to Florida car crash

Following his arrest, Woods also refused to submit to a urinary test for drugs when asked.

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Tiger Woods appeared before a judge in person for the first time since his March 27 car accident, when he was arrested on a misdemeanor driving under the influence (DUI) charge after a rollover crash, in Stuart, Florida
Tiger Woods appeared before a judge in person for the first time since his March 27 car accident, when he was arrested on a misdemeanor driving under the influence (DUI) charge after a rollover crash, in Stuart, Florida. Picture: Reuters

By Danielle de Wolfe

Tiger Woods has been handed a 5-year driving ban and $1500 fine after accepting a plea deal linked to a Florida car crash, which saw his vehicle flipped onto its roof.

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Appearing at Martin County Courthouse on Wednesday, Woods entered a plea agreement to charges stemming from the car crash which saw his car roll following a collision with a pick-up truck on Jupiter Island, Florida, on March 27.

The 15-time major-winning golfer had initially been charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) after failing to provide a breathalyser test for alcohol in the wake of the crash.

Woods also refused to submit to a urinary test for drugs when asked.

As part of the plea deal, the golfer pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of reckless, willful driving.

Read more: Tiger Woods released on bail after DUI charge over 'high speed' crash near Florida home

Read more: Tiger Woods keen to play Masters despite TGL Finals defeat

Tiger Woods appears in County Judge Darren Steele's courtroom for a plea hearing from an arrest in March, at the Martin County Courthouse
Tiger Woods appears in County Judge Darren Steele's courtroom for a plea hearing from an arrest in March, at the Martin County Courthouse. Picture: Alamy
Mugshot of Tiger Woods after he was arrested for crashing his car under the influence of drugs
Mugshot of Tiger Woods after he was arrested for crashing his car under the influence of drugs. Picture: Alamy

No-contest is a term used in the US that means an individual accepts the punishment without formally admitting any form of guilt.

A charge that comes with a five-year license suspension and $1,000 fine, the golfer's refusal to submit a sobriety test saw him handed an additional $500 fine.

During sentencing, Woods was also warned by a judge that any driving during his suspension would result in jail time.

It's the latest in a string of police interactions involving the golfer, following a 2021 car crash in Rancho Palos Verdes, which left him needing leg surgery and threatened to end his career.

In this image from video provided by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods is strapped into a police vehicle following the car crash
In this image from video provided by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, golfer Tiger Woods is strapped into a police vehicle following the car crash. Picture: Alamy
Police body camera video released by the Martin County, Florida, Sheriff's Office showing Woods' arrest
Police body camera video released by the Martin County, Florida, Sheriff's Office showing Woods' arrest. Picture: Alamy

Following the crash, Sheriff John Budensiek told reporters Woods had also been charged with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test, both of which are not felonies.

Woods, who was pictured on the phone yards away from the wreckage, attempted to overtake a truck at "high speed" when he clipped the vehicle, causing it to "rollover".

The crash occurred just after 2pm in Jupiter Island, close to where the golf legend lives.

Giving a news conference on Friday evening, Budensiek said: "It did appear that the driver of the Land Rover might be impaired.

The officer told reporters that the driver of the pickup truck, who has not been identified, was driving northbound on the road and was slowly pulling into a driveway.