Tiger Woods crash: police may take blood sample to rule out intoxication
Retired New York Police sergeant on Tiger Woods car crash: "The blood test could give us a whole other insight."
Tiger Woods may still be required to provide a blood sample to police detectives investigating his single vehicle roll-over traffic collision in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning in order to definitely rule out drugs and alcohol playing a part in the accident, according to a report in The Telegraph.
It was announced on Wednesday that police investigators had spoken to Woods about the incident, while he was recovering from major surgery to his right leg in hospital, before later declaring the crash was "purely an accident".
It was also confirmed by Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva that Woods is unlikely to face any criminal charges for the car crash.
However, according to The Telegraph's article, police detectives "have been accused of jumping to conclusions too early and may now request his telephone data to see if he was on the phone or otherwise distracted."
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Retired New York police sergeant Joe Giacalone, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, believes it is "premature" for Villanueva to be proclaiming this car crash as an accident just 24 hours later.
"The blood test could give us a whole other insight," said Prof Giacalone, who explained some drugs are not necessarily detectable by observation.
"Because it's Tiger Woods, people are going to demand answers. You have to dot your I's and cross your T's."
RELATED: TIGER WOODS SAYS HE HAS "NO RECOLLECTION" OF THE CAR CRASH ITSELF
While early indications are Woods will unlikely face any criminal charges, The Telegraph indicates the 15-time major champion "could face an offence known as an infraction if investigators conclude that he was speeding or not paying attention to the road."
William Peppard, a retired New Jersey police detective who served as a crash investigator for years, also explained that crash investigations typically include interviews of first responders and bystanders as well as inspections of the road and the vehicle, including photographs and whether or not the vehicle in question had any defects or malfunctions.
"Take the celebrity out of it - it's a matter of resources and time," said Peppard.
Justin King, a personal injury attorney in California, said that if investigators prove the road is unsafe and contributed to Woods' crash and others, the municipality that controls it could be held liable.
It was today confirmed that Woods has moved to a different hospital as he continues to recover from major surgery to his right leg.
