Golfing icon Tiger Woods is facing DUI charges following a striking rollover accident on Jupiter Island, Florida, which resulted in his Land Rover rolling onto its side on a tight residential street. The 50-year-old sports star was taken into custody by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office after the crash, which happened when Woods reportedly struck a pressure-cleaner trailer while trying to overtake at elevated speed.
The accident took place shortly before 2 p.m. on Friday, March 27, 2026, along South Beach Road, a two-lane street with a posted 30 mph speed restriction. Woods’ Land Rover came up behind a northbound truck as its driver started turning into a driveway. According to investigators, Woods attempted to overtake the truck but collided with the trailer being pulled, which caused his SUV to roll onto the driver’s side and skid across the road surface. Woods exited through the passenger side window and departed the scene of the wreck unharmed.
Upon arrival, deputies observed Woods displaying indicators of impairment—Sheriff John Budensiek characterized him as “lethargic”—although a breathalyzer examination showed 0.00, indicating no alcohol present in his body. A Drug Recognition Expert determined that Woods’ impaired condition probably resulted from medication or drugs. Woods consented to the breathalyzer but declined a urine test, which resulted in a second charge: refusal to submit to a lawful test. Law enforcement discovered no substances in the vehicle.
Officers transported Woods to the Martin County Jail in Stuart at approximately 3 p.m., where Florida law mandated he stay for no less than eight hours. He secured bail and exited the facility just before midnight, leaving in the passenger seat of a black SUV amid a crowd of photographers.
The two charges against Woods are both misdemeanors. A first-offense DUI conviction in Florida results in up to six months incarceration and a $1,000 fine, while refusing a lawful test carries up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. In the absence of urine test evidence, however, legal analysts say prosecutors may face difficulties proving Woods was genuinely under the influence of a controlled substance—making the refusal charge the more probable route for conviction. No court date has been scheduled.
President Donald Trump commented on the arrest while arriving in Miami for an investment summit. “I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty,” Trump told reporters. “Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person, amazing man. But some difficulty.” Woods is dating Vanessa Trump, 48, the president’s former daughter-in-law and ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr.
Woods, valued at $1.5 billion according to Forbes, has accumulated roughly $1.8 billion before taxes throughout his professional golf career—establishing him as the wealthiest golfer in history and only the second active athlete to achieve billionaire status, alongside LeBron James. He established a PGA Tour record with $121 million in prize money, though approximately 90% of his wealth derives from endorsements and business ventures rather than tournament winnings.
This represents Woods’ second DUI arrest. In May 2017, Jupiter police discovered him asleep behind the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz and had to wake him. A toxicology report from that incident revealed five drugs in his system: Vicodin, Dilaudid, Xanax, Ambien, and THC. Woods later apologized to his family, friends, and fans, blaming an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and entered a diversion program that wiped his record clean.
The golfer also endured a catastrophic single-vehicle crash on February 23, 2021, in Rolling Hills Estates, California, that left his Genesis GV80 mangled and nearly cost him his right leg. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, Woods was traveling between 84 and 87 mph in a 45 mph zone when he lost control. He suffered open fractures to his lower right leg, requiring emergency surgery, a rod in his tibia, and screws and pins in his foot and ankle. Woods spent three weeks hospitalized and three months recovering in a hospital-type bed at his home. Authorities determined that crash showed no evidence of impairment and was purely an accident caused by excessive speed.
Only three days prior to his arrest, Woods participated in the TGL Finals at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens—his first competitive swings in more than a year. His Jupiter Links Golf Club team lost to the Los Angeles Golf Club, which captured the SoFi Cup with a commanding 9-2 victory. Woods had indicated that competing at The Masters remained a possibility as he continues recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon in March 2025 and a seventh back surgery in October. The prestigious tournament begins April 9, 2026, though Woods’ participation now appears highly uncertain following his arrest.
Sheriff Budensiek observed that the crash could have been far more serious. “Had there been somebody moving in the opposite direction, we would not be having a conversation saying there was no injuries,” he said during his press conference. “This could have been a lot worse.” The narrow roadway offers little room for drivers to move aside, and investigators emphasized that oncoming traffic could have turned the incident deadly. The truck driver escaped injury.
Woods’ longtime agent, Mark Steinberg, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The arrest adds another turbulent chapter to Woods’ personal history, which has included highly publicized struggles with pain medication following multiple surgeries to extend his playing career. Despite these setbacks, Woods remains one of golf’s most recognizable and influential figures—a 15-time major champion who transformed the sport and continues to draw massive interest whenever he steps onto a course.
Whether this latest incident derails what remained of his comeback attempts or prompts a more serious reckoning with his health challenges, the golf world—and millions of fans who have followed his extraordinary career—will be watching closely.
