LOS ANGELES — Professional golfer Eldrick "Tiger" Woods was recovering in a hospital Wednesday morning after being seriously injured in a single-vehicle rollover crash Tuesday morning, and being transported to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

The Los Angeles County sheriff on Wednesday characterized the crash that seriously injured Tiger Woods as “purely an accident" and appeared to rule out any potential criminal charges even as authorities were still investigating.

Deputies saw no evidence the golf star was impaired by drugs or alcohol after Tuesday's rollover wreck on a downhill stretch of road known for crashes, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.

“He was not drunk,” Villanueva said during a livestreamed social media event. “We can throw that one out.”

At most, the investigation could lead to an infraction if it's determined Woods was on his cell phone or distracted in some other way, the sheriff said. Investigators have not yet pulled a "black box" from the damaged SUV to determine how fast Woods was traveling when the crash occurred.

"Mr. Woods suffered significant orthopaedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopaedic trauma specialists at harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center," said Chief Medical Officer & Interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Dr. Anish Mahajan, MD.

"Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia," added Mahajan. "Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of screws and pins. Trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling."

On Tiger Woods' official Twitter account, it states that Tiger "is currently awake, responsive, and recovering in his hospital room. Thank you to the wonderful doctors and hospital staff at Harbor UCLA Medical Center, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and the Fire Department. Your support and assistance has been outstanding."

The Twitter post concludes with: "There are no further updates at this time and we continue to thank you for your well-wishes and privacy for him and his family."

The crash occurred along a road in the Rancho Palos Verdes area shortly before 7:15 a.m., and was reported by a neighbor who heard it.

L.A. Deputy Carlos Gonzalez was the first on scene and was able to identify Woods as the victim of the crash. According to Deputy Gonzalez, Woods was "lucid and calm" while trapped in the wreckage.

"Mr. Woods was seated in the driver's seat. I made contact with him and I ensured that he was able to speak to me. I kept Mr. Woods calm until L.A. County fire arrived at the scene," said Deputy Gonzalez.

Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby said the jaws of life were not used to extradite Woods, but instead an ax and a halligan tool were used. Woods was conscious and alert as firefighters pried open the front windshield to get him out, said Christopher Thomas, a spokesman for the county Fire Department.

Deputy Gonzalez said Woods was not able to stand on his own. After being pulled from the wreckage, Woods was placed on a backboard and transported to the hospital. Chief Osby on Tuesday made reference to Woods suffering "broken legs and lacerations."

L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said there was no evidence that Woods was impaired at the time of the crash. Woods was wearing his seatbelt, according to Villanueva. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but Sheriff Villanueva indicated that speed may have been a factor in the crash based on where the car was traveling and were it came to a rest. The investigation will also seek to determine if woods may have been on a cell phone or distracted in any way. 

Villanueva noted the vehicle, which was being driven northbound on Hawthorne in a particularly accident-prone area due to the curving downhill roadway, traveled "several hundred feet" after striking the center median.

That distance indicates Woods was "going at a relatively, a greater speed than normal," the Sheriff Villanueva said. "However, because it is downhill, it slopes and it also curves, that area has a high frequency of accidents. It is not uncommon."

He said there were no skid marks or other signs of braking, and the first object the vehicle struck was a sign in the center median that said "Welcome to Rolling Hills Estates." The vehicle then crossed all the southbound lanes, sheered off a tree and rolled over. He credited the safety features in the 2021 Hyundai Genesis SUV for likely saving Woods' life.

Images of the scene of Woods’ accident showed the car he was in on its side with the front end heavily damaged. Air bags appeared to be deployed. The wreckage appeared to be just off the side of a road on a hillside.

"The nature of his vehicle, the fact that he was wearing a seat belt, I would say it greatly increased the likelihood that it saved his life," Deputy Gonzalez said.

His agent, Mark Steinberg, confirmed that Woods suffered "multiple leg injuries."

"Tiger Woods was in a single-car accident this morning in California where he suffered multiple leg injuries," Steinberg said in a statement. "He is currently in surgery and we thank you for your privacy and support."

A vehicle rests on its side after a rollover accident involving golfer Tiger Woods along a road in the Rancho Palos Verdes section of Los Angeles on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021. Woods suffered leg injuries in the one-car accident and was undergoing surgery, authorities and his manager said. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Woods was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center to be treated for his injuries, according to Chief Osby. In a statement, however, the hospital said it "cannot confirm or deny whether an individual is a patient due to patient privacy laws. In addition, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center leadership and staff will not be conducting any interviews at this time." 

The golf world was stunned by the news.

“As if his body hasn’t endured enough,” Jon Rahm, the No. 2 player in the world, said from the Workday Championship in Florida. “I just hope he can get out of the hospital after recovery and he can still play with his kids and have a normal life.”

In statement Tuesday afternoon, the PGA Tour said:

“We have been made aware of Tiger Woods’ car accident today. We are waiting further information when he comes out of surgery. On behalf of the PGA Tour and our players, Tiger is in our prayers and will have our full support as he recovers.”

Woods was in Los Angeles over the weekend as the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, where he presented the trophy on Sunday. He was to spend Monday and Tuesday filming with Discovery-owned GOLFTV, with whom he has an endorsement. A tweet Monday showed Woods in a cart smiling with comedian David Spade.

According to Golf Digest, also owned by Discovery, the TV shoot was on-course lessons for celebrities, such as Spade and Dwyane Wade, at Rolling Hills Country Club.

Woods, a 15-time major champion who shares with Sam Snead the PGA Tour record of 82 career victories, has been recovering from December 23 surgery on his lower back. It was his fifth back surgery and first since his lower spine was fused in April 2017, allowing him to stage a remarkable comeback that culminated with his fifth Masters title in 2019.

He has carried the sport since his record-setting Masters victory in 1997 when he was 21, winning at the most prolific rate in modern PGA Tour history. He is singularly responsible for TV ratings spiking, which has led to enormous increases in prize money during his career. Even at 45, he remains the biggest draw in the sport.

The SUV he was driving Tuesday had tournament logos on the side door, indicating it was a courtesy car for players at the Genesis Invitational. Tournament director Mike Antolini did not immediately respond to a text message, though it is not unusual for players to keep courtesy cars a few days after the event.

Woods feared he would never play again until the 2017 fusion surgery. He returned to win the Tour Championship to close out the 2018 season and won the Masters in April 2019 for the fifth time.

He last played December 20 in the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida, an unofficial event where players are paired with parents or children. He played with his son, Charlie, who is now 12. Woods also has a 13-year-old daughter.

During the Sunday telecast on CBS from the golf tournament, Woods was asked about playing the Masters on April 8-11 and said, “God, I hope so.” He said he feeling a little stiff and had one more test to see if he was ready for more activities.

He was not sure when he would play again.

Athletes from Mike Tyson to Magic Johnson offered hopes that Woods would make a quick recovery.

“I’m sick to my stomach,” Justin Thomas, the No. 3 golf player in the world, said from the Workday Championship in Bradenton, Florida. “It hurts to see one of my closest friends get in an accident. Man, I just hope he’s all right.”

This is the third time Woods has been involved in a car investigation. The most notorious was the early morning after Thanksgiving in 2009, when his SUV ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree. That was the start of shocking revelations that he had been cheating on his wife with multiple women. Woods lost major corporate sponsorships, went to a rehabilitation clinic in Mississippi and did not return to golf for five months.

In May 2017, Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car parked awkwardly on the side of the road. He was arrested on a DUI charge and said later he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medicine for his back pain. Woods later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic to get help with prescription medication and a sleep disorder.

Woods has not won since the Zozo Championship in Japan in fall 2019, and he has reduced his playing schedule in recent years because of injuries. The surgery Tuesday would be his 10th. He has had four previous surgeries on his left knee, including a major reconstruction after he won the 2008 U.S. Open, and five surgeries on his back.

Golf players react and send their wishes to Woods for a successful surgery and full recovery:   

The Associated Press contributed to this report.