Tiger Cancels Meeting With Police,Remaining the Car Crash Details Private

Tiger Woods said as little as possible regarding to his car crash early Friday morning. And do his wife, Elin Nordegren Woods, did the same. Woods released a brief statement on his website that, this accident has brought much embarrassment and stress to both himself and his family. So he Tiger was asking for "some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be."

He did not address this week's National Enquirer story, which claims that Woods has had an affair with a New York club promoter named Rachel Uchitel. Uchitel has denied the affair. The Enquirer has said that it stands by its story.

Woods also said in the statement that his wife "acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble" at the time of the accident, on Friday at about 2:30 a.m. "She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false."

In the best of times, Woods is not one to be forthcoming with reporters or the public, and this, for him, is the worst of times. He has led an exemplary public life and this is the first time his image has taken any sort of serious hit. Since his 1996 professional debut, with the exception of one regrettable GQ interview, Woods has answered questions dutifully but often with the fewest words possible. In the wake of the accident, his little-as-possible strategy is even more obvious.

On three occasions — on Friday, Saturday and Sunday — Florida Highway Patrol officers have tried to interview Woods only to be rebuffed. The first time by Woods's wife. The second time by Woods's agent, Mark Steinberg. The third time by Woods's lawyer, Mark Nejame, who informed FHP officers that Woods would not meet with them on Sunday afternoon. An FHP spokesman said that Woods provided his license and other basic information, and that the "crash investigation is ongoing and charges are pending."

According to interviews with lawyers, Woods has no legal obligation to submit to FHP interviews because of Fifth Amendment rights. And the only criminal charges that could come out of a minor traffic accident such as this would be driving under the influence, reckless driving or destruction of public property.

Police officials have said that alcohol was not a factor in the accident, and Woods's alcohol level was not even tested because, as Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Kim Montes told the Orlando Sentinel, troopers need probable cause that someone is under the influence of alcohol or drugs to demand such tests, and they had no reason to suspect Woods.

Bill Wallshein of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., a interviewed lawyers said that the state officials could subpoena a blood sample, if one was saved, from the hospital where Woods was treated on Friday morning, and that the sample could be tested for alcohol or drugs. "The public is expecting the state to do a thorough job here," Wallshein said. "Woods is in a Catch-22." Had he answered investigators questions, Woods would have given information that he regards as private to, in essence, the public. He also would have opened himself to possible perjury charges had he made untruthful statements. But by not answering investigators questions, he risks increasing their desire to dig deeper. The bottom line, though is that there no serious injuries and minor physical damage was minor and the legal upshot will likely be nothing more than a traffic ticket.

The 911 call was oddly short, both in duration and details. The caller never identified Woods; the nature and severity of the injuries were vague; and the call seemed to suddenly end when the male caller's portable house phone went out of range. A woman's voice, not Nordegren's, can be heard at one point in the background, and the caller can be heard asking for someone to get water. There is no known follow-up call.

It is unclear whether Woods will take part in his California tournament this week, the Chevron World Challenge, a fundraiser for the Tiger Woods Foundation. He did not play last year when he was recovering from knee surgery. What is clear is that Woods is taking a long-term view as he assesses the situation. His goal seems to be not to make matters worse than they already are. He's having one of the worst weeks of his life, but time, it seems, is on his side.

Tiger-I'm Human and I'm not Perfect

Tiger Woods' new estate on Jupiter Island

Copyright reserved by Ebayoyo.com