Inside Tiger Woods' DUI arrest: Golfer allegedly asleep at the wheel, changed his story, police say
— -- Tiger Woods was allegedly asleep at the wheel and allegedly changed his story of where he was coming from when he was arrested over the holiday weekend on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to police.
According to a police report, an officer in Jupiter, Florida, on Monday saw a black Mercedes stopped on a road.
An incident report said the car was stopped in the right lane and was partially in the bike lane.
The car was running, and Woods, the only person in the car, was "asleep at the wheel and had to be woken up," the police report said.
The golfer had his seat belt on, the police report said. The car's brake lights were illuminated, and the right blinker was flashing, the police report said.
According to the incident report, one officer who was watching Woods noted that he fell asleep with his head up against the headrest. "At one point the driver woke up and pulled on the right side lever on the steering column," the officer said in the incident report. "I asked the driver what he pulled, and the driver replied in a muffled tone, 'What? Push the button?' and then pushed the button to start the vehicle. I immediately had the driver push the button again to turn the vehicle back off. The driver complied and then fell back asleep a few moments later."
Woods, who allegedly had extremely slow and slurred speech, "stated that he did not know where he was," according to the police report. "Woods had changed his story of where he was going and where he was coming from. Woods asked how far from his house he was."
According to an incident report, a police officer "asked Woods where he was coming from to which he stated 'LA' and I then asked where he was coming from tonight to which he stated LA again and that he was on his way down to Orange County. It should be noted that Orange County California is to the south of LA, California. I asked Woods if he knew where he was at, to which he stated he had no idea."
The incident report said that officer later "again asked Woods where he was coming from, to which he stated 'Jupiter FL.' It should be noted that he was informed he was in Jupiter before he exited his car. I asked Woods where he was going, to which he stated he did not know that he just likes to drive."
Woods said he had nothing to drink and had not taken any illegal drugs, according to the incident report. Woods told police he takes several prescription medications, according to the police report.
When the golfer got out of the car, he was swaying and using his arms to balance, the incident report said.
The incident report details Woods' movements during the Standardized Field Sobriety Tasks, during which police said his eyes were droopy, his pupils were dilated, and he was often swaying and losing his balance.
In the incident report, police also noted there was "fresh damage" to the golfer's car.
"Both drivers' side tires were flat along with minor damage to both respective rims," the incident report said. "There was also minor damage to the front driver`s side bumper and rear bumper, and the passenger rear tail light appeared to be out."
Woods was arrested Monday on suspicion of driving under the influence and later released on his own recognizance.
He was administered a Breathalyzer test and his alcohol level was recorded at 0.
In a statement, Woods blamed the incident on a combination of prescription drugs.
"I understand the severity of what I did, and I take full responsibility for my actions," he said. "I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn't realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.
"I would like to apologize with all my heart to my family, friends and the fans. I expect more from myself too."
