Tiger Woods. [Getty Images]
Tiger Woods. [Getty Images]

Tiger Woods reached a plea deal with prosecutors Wednesday (local time), resolving a criminal case stemming from a rollover crash with a five-year driver's license suspension and a $1,500 fine — avoiding the more serious charge of driving under the influence.

According to the Associated Press and CNN, Woods appeared in state court in Martin County, Florida, where he agreed to a reduced charge of reckless driving in place of the original DUI charge.

Woods entered a no-contest plea, neither admitting guilt nor asserting innocence but accepting the punishment.

The court ordered Woods to surrender his driver's license for five years and pay the fine.

The incident occurred March 28, when Woods was driving on a two-lane road near his home on Jupiter Island, Florida, and collided with a pickup truck towing a small trailer while attempting to pass it, causing his vehicle to roll over.

A breathalyzer test administered at the scene came back negative. However, Woods refused a urine test, leading to his arrest and brief detention before he was released on bail.

A sheriff's office report noted that two white pills — opioids used for pain treatment — were found in Woods' pocket at the scene. Opioids are a class of powerful narcotic painkillers.

Woods was subsequently charged with DUI and refusing a lawful test, though he had maintained his innocence on the DUI count.

Woods' girlfriend Vanessa Trump was also present in court. Vanessa is the former daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump, having married his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., in 2005 before the couple divorced in 2018.


betterj@heraldcorp.com