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Tiger Woods has received a five-year driver's license suspension after reaching a plea agreement in connection with his March car crash in Florida.
The 50-year-old golf star pleaded no contest Wednesday, Sept. 2, to a reduced charge of willful and wanton reckless driving. Prosecutors dropped the original DUI charge as part of the agreement. Woods also pleaded no contest to a second charge stemming from his refusal to provide a urine sample, which was reduced to careless driving.
Woods was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine and received two five-year license suspensions, which will run concurrently. He will not serve jail time. Judge Darren Steele also warned Woods that violating the suspension could have serious consequences.
"There are no exceptions," Steele told Woods, adding that if he drove during the suspension, he could be sent immediately to jail.
Woods was arrested March 27 after his SUV rolled over in Jupiter Island, Florida. Officers responding to the crash reported that Woods appeared lethargic and had bloodshot, glassy eyes and dilated pupils. Two hydrocodone pills were also found in his possession.
However, a breathalyzer test showed no alcohol in his system. Woods declined to provide a urine sample for further testing, an action that prosecutors said complicated the case.
State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl described the prosecution as a particularly difficult DUI case to prove. Toxicology experts determined there was insufficient evidence to establish that Woods was impaired, partly because of his pharmacological tolerance following multiple surgeries.
Woods told authorities he had been looking down at his phone before the crash. He had previously faced a DUI-related case in 2017 and completed a diversion program.
Following his latest arrest, Woods said he intended to step away from the public spotlight to seek treatment and focus on his health. During Wednesday's hearing, the judge permitted him to travel outside the United States for treatment.
Woods attended court alongside his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump. Prosecutors have also sought his prescription and hospital records as part of the case.
