Tiger, Hire a Driver

[DataDan]

LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva sent the message loud and clear: Tiger was not DUI, reckless, or anything else. It was just an unfortunate accident. His deputies now know how to handle it.

In addition, he has declared that the location often gets crashes, so Tiger is a tragic victim. One problem with that is that CHP's statewide crash database doesn't show any crashes nearby as far back as 2016 (earliest I checked). In fact, it seems that deputies have entered practically NO Rancho Palos Verdes or Rolling Hills Estates crashes into the database in that time. Those two cities--the former on the west side of the crash road, the latter on the east--have a combined population of more than 50,000 and both contract with LA Sheriffs for law enforcement.

Villanueva is not politically healthy. There have been some use-of-force issues recently, and the jail is a perpetual problem. His latest shenanigan was building a private heliport at his suburban home, to the wrath of neighbors.

To prosecute a much admired celebrity whose career has just come to a sudden end could bring his own career to an end.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

Kind of sad to see the downfall of such talented individuals

 

[gixxerjeff]

Kind of sad to see the downfall of such talented individuals

"People die every day."
O.J Simpson

 

[Johndicezx9]

Residents said that short stretch has had nearly a dozen crashes since January 2020.

Would they be in the CHP database if they aren't called or doing the investigation?

 

[fraz]

He could go with undiagnosed narcolepsy, or diabetes (which his dad had, with hypertension), or MS, which his brother has... :dunno

True, fair considerations. I have yet to see anybody postulate mechanical failure. Cars aren't perfect either nowadays, eh?

 

[Jammer]

It was very early in the morning for the late night, notoriously hard partying Tiger; maybe he fell asleep at the wheel?

 

[Johndicezx9]

We may never know given the "Nothing to see here, folks!" nature of the investigation. :laughing

 

[bojangle]

We may never know given the "Nothing to see here, folks!" nature of the investigation. :laughing

That's also a distinct possibility. He very well could have been prescription impaired, but if that was never investigated, we will never know.

Here it is.

Villanueva reiterated that there was no reason to expect alcohol or drugs played a factor in the crash and that no blood samples were drawn by investigators. If the hospital where Woods is being treated does a toxicology report, Villanueva said his department would need a search warrant in order to access it.

https://www.golfchannel.com/news/la-county-sheriff-tiger-woods-not-expected-face-charges

I guess I'm just suspicious of this.

 

[DataDan]

Residents said that short stretch has had nearly a dozen crashes since January 2020.

Would they be in the CHP database if they aren't called or doing the investigation?

Yes. It's called SWITRS (Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System) and includes crash reports from all jurisdictions in the state: CHP, PDs, and SO where they're contracted for LE. For example, also in LA County, the city of Malibu contracts with LASO and typically reports 200+ crashes per year.

However, for some reason, Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates stopped reporting most crashes to SWITRS in 2010. Combined, they accounted for roughly 300 crashes per year until 2010. Since then, the average is less than 10 per year. Fatalities do show up, and there are a few minor school bus crashes (which are handled by CHP), but otherwise practically nothing. I have confirmed by comparing to CHP's own 2017 compilation from the database (.xls files--see section 8, Table 8A).

I haven't downloaded 2020 data yet, but I'll get it tomorrow.

 

[NorCalAthlete]

Every forum needs a DataDan.

 

[Eldritch]

It was very early in the morning for the late night, notoriously hard partying Tiger; maybe he fell asleep at the wheel?

Look, ain't y'all ever chucked a car off the road because you hit a 25mph turn doing 75mph?

Sometimes you just roll in too hot.

:dunno

 

[auntiebling]

True, fair considerations. I have yet to see anybody postulate mechanical failure. Cars aren't perfect either nowadays, eh?

loose nut behind the steering wheel?

Every forum needs a DataDan.

what if DataDan IS the forum?! :O

 

[lefty]

Between thinking about golf and driving a hyundai he probably just feel asleep at the wheel

Best Response EVER!!! :rofl:rofl:thumbup

 

[DataDan]

Residents said that short stretch has had nearly a dozen crashes since January 2020.

Checking the database I mentioned previously, I found no crashes on that section of road 2011-2020. There have been a few reported on Hawthorne Blvd in Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates but not nearby, and they were: two vehicle-vs-ped fatalities, one motorcycle-vs-ped fatality, one bicyclist-vs-truck fatality, one 17yo-vs-utility pole fatality, one car-vs-schoolbus with minor injures, and one schoolbus-vs-schoolbus with minor injuries.

That doesn't mean that those dozen crashes since Jan 2020 didn't happen, only that the cities involved, apparently as a matter of policy, don't report them to SWITRS. Thus, crashes can't be confirmed in the same way the vast majority in California can. So we don't know: the actual number; precise location; time of day; weather conditions; vehicles involved; primary factor assessed by law enforcement, such as speed or DUI; other factors such as debris or construction.

I wonder how a city can get away with not reporting them. It's apparently not an agency policy, since other cities that contract with LA Sheriffs do report them, and an adjacent city with its own PD, Palos Verdes Estates, does too. :dunno

 

[Johndicezx9]

Anecdotal, but the locals are the locals....

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.la...t-road-known-for-high-speeds-danger?_amp=true

But, it's a pricey, celeb, power player, lawyer laden neighborhood. :laughing

 

[ScorpioVI]

LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva sent the message loud and clear: Tiger was not DUI, reckless, or anything else. It was just an unfortunate accident. His deputies now know how to handle it.

In addition, he has declared that the location often gets crashes, so Tiger is a tragic victim. One problem with that is that CHP's statewide crash database doesn't show any crashes nearby as far back as 2016 (earliest I checked). In fact, it seems that deputies have entered practically NO Rancho Palos Verdes or Rolling Hills Estates crashes into the database in that time. Those two cities--the former on the west side of the crash road, the latter on the east--have a combined population of more than 50,000 and both contract with LA Sheriffs for law enforcement.

Villanueva is not politically healthy. There have been some use-of-force issues recently, and the jail is a perpetual problem. His latest shenanigan was building a private heliport at his suburban home, to the wrath of neighbors.

To prosecute a much admired celebrity whose career has just come to a sudden end could bring his own career to an end.

Informative as always. Thanks dude!

 

[Holeshot]

Look, ain't y'all ever chucked a car off the road because you hit a 25mph turn doing 75mph?

Sometimes you just roll in too hot.

:dunno

I'm going with: Roy Orbison came on and he HAD to get that shit off ASAP.

Distracted driving and speed. Ended up in the rough per Yoda's comical post.

 

[Climber]

Kind of sad to see the downfall of such talented individuals

Talent is not character.

A lot of people give celebrities a free pass on many things they do.

I learned a long time ago that financial success, sports success, other successes do not magically bestow good character onto people.

Now, there are some people with success in some of those areas who have very good character, but success in itself does not guarantee good character.

 

[DataDan]

Residents said that short stretch has had nearly a dozen crashes since January 2020.

While recent crash data for the area is unavailable, I found an abundance prior to 2011. So I compiled some relevant facts for the period 2006-2010--actually 4.5 years, since the two cities stopped reporting crashes to CHP in mid-2010.

The area I'll be discussing is a 1-mile section of Hawthorne Blvd in Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates, between Blackhorse Rd and Palos Verdes Drive North. Tiger crashed about midway between those intersections. Each city has jurisdiction over some parts of the road.

• Over the period I examined, there were 36 reported crashes on that section of road, or about 8 per year.
  
  
• None of the crashes was fatal, 2 resulted in severe injuries, 16 produced less serious injuries, 18 were non-injury.
  
  
• Nearly two-thirds happened on the northbound side, the downhill where Tiger crashed.
  
  
• More than half were single-vehicle.
  
  
• In more than half of the crashes, the vehicle struck an obstacle, presumably a curb or tree or sign. Three were head-on and two were rollovers. The rest were rear-enders and sideswipes.
  
  
• One-third of the drivers involved were teenagers, compared to 15% in crashes citywide.
  
  
• One driver had been drinking but was found not to be under the influence.
  
  
• In 13 crashes, the primary factor was excessive speed, in 14 it was improper turning. Other factors mentioned were unsafe lane change and driving on the wrong side of the road. One vehicle had brake failure, a southbound truck, so it was not due to the downhill.
  
  
• One crash involved a motorcycle. Rider made an unsafe lane change, hit an obstacle (curb?), and suffered minor injuries.

Not an expert opinion by any stretch, but that's more crashes than I would expect on what seems to be a fairly normal suburban road. With a megabucks career likely ending, Tiger might have a good chance in court.

 

[CDONA]

I did catch a vid from a female fire Capt from Tigers rescue from an LA area (Fox?) station.
She stated that Tiger was actively trying to free himself before they got there.
He removed his legs from the footwell and was trapped from an out of place steering column.
Fire rescue and Tiger worked to get free for transport, despite his extreme pain.
Something close to, "We found this to be a celeb rescue, and went by the book"