Woods was driving 84 to 87 mph on a downhill stretch of road outside Los Angeles that had a speed limit of 45 mph, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Wednesday.

The stretch of road is known for wrecks and drivers hitting speeds so high that there is an emergency exit for runaway vehicles just beyond where Woods crashed.

Villanueva blamed the Feb. 23 crash solely on excessive speed and Woods’ loss of control behind the wheel. Sheriff’s Capt. James Powers said there was no evidence that the golfer braked throughout the wreck and that it’s believed Woods inadvertently hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal.

Detectives did not seek search warrants for the athlete’s blood samples, which could have been screened for drugs or alcohol, or his cellphone. Sheriff’s officials said Woods told deputies that he had not ingested medication or alcohol before the crash.

Authorities said there was no evidence of impairment or of distracted driving, so they didn’t have probable cause to get those warrants. Investigators, however, did search the SUV’s data recorder, known as a black box.

No traffic citations were issued. The sheriff said Woods gave permission for authorities to reveal details about the crash.

Documents show that Woods told deputies he did not know how the crash occurred and did not remember driving. At the time of the wreck, Woods was recovering from a fifth back surgery, which took place two months earlier.

Woods, who is originally from the Los Angeles area, had been back home to host his PGA tournament, the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club when the crash happened.

He was driving an SUV loaned to him by the tournament when he struck a raised median in Rolling Hills Estates, just outside Los Angeles. The SUV crossed through two oncoming lanes and uprooted a tree.

Woods is in Jupiter recovering from multiple surgeries, including a lengthy procedure for shattered tibia and fibula bones in his lower right leg in multiple locations. Those were stabilized with a rod in his tibia. Additional injuries to the bones in his foot and ankle required screws and pins.

Woods, 45, has never gone an entire year without playing, dating back to his first PGA Tour event as a 16-year-old in high school. He had hoped to play this year in the Masters tournament, which begins Thursday.

Rory McIlroy, a four-time major golf champion who lives near Woods in Florida, said he visited him on March 21.

“Spent a couple of hours with him, which was nice. It was good to see him,” McIlroy said Tuesday from the Masters. “It was good to see him in decent spirits. When you hear of these things and you look at the car and you see the crash, you think he’s going to be in a hospital bed for six months. But he was actually doing better than that.”

In the weeks after the crash, the sheriff called it “purely an accident” and said there was no evidence of impairment. Villanueva faced criticism for labeling the crash an accident before the investigation had concluded.

This is the third time Woods has been involved in a vehicle investigation.

The most notorious example was when his SUV ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree early on the morning after Thanksgiving in 2009. That crash 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 pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic to get help with prescription medication and a sleep disorder.

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Tiger Woods was speeding before crashing SUV

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Woods suffered serious injuries in the Feb. 23 crash when he struck a raised median around 7 a.m. in Rolling Hills Estates, just outside Los Angeles. The Genesis SUV he was driving crossed through two oncoming lanes and uprooted a tree on a downhill stretch that police said is known for wrecks. Woods is in Florida recovering from multiple surgeries.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva has been criticized for his comments about the crash, calling it “purely an accident” and saying there was no evidence of impairment. Woods told deputies he did not know how the crash occurred and didn’t remember driving.

He was unconscious when a witness first approached the mangled SUV. A sheriff’s deputy said the athlete later appeared to be in shock but was conscious and able to answer basic questions.

Investigators did not seek a search warrant for Woods’ blood samples, which could be screened for drugs and alcohol. In 2017, Woods checked himself into a clinic for help in dealing with prescription drug medication after a DUI charge in his home state of Florida.

Detectives, however, did obtain a search warrant for the data recorder of the 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV, known as a black box. Villanueva would not say Wednesday what data had been recovered from the black box.

“A cause has been determined, the investigation has concluded,” Villanueva said during a live social media event Wednesday.

Villanueva claimed investigators need permission from Woods — who previously named his yacht “Privacy” — to make public information about the crash.

“We have reached out to Tiger Woods and his personnel,” Villanueva said. “There’s some privacy issues on releasing information on the investigation so we’re going to ask them if they waive the privacy and then we will be able to do a full release on all the information regarding the accident.”

Woods’ agent at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, did not respond to an email seeking comment on Wednesday.

“We have all the contents of the black box, we’ve got everything,” Villanueva said. “It’s completed, signed, sealed and delivered. However, we can’t release it without the permission of the people involved in the collision.”

Hours after the social media event, the sheriff’s department posted a message on Twitter saying that the release of such reports falls under California’s vehicle code.

“When we are able, we intend to release the information learned during the traffic collision investigation” that involved Woods, the tweet stated.

The section of state code cited by the sheriff’s department does not govern the release of the information outside the so-called “accident reports.” It says those reports must be confidential but can be disclosed “to any person who may have a proper interest therein.”

Greg Risling, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County district attorney, said in an email Wednesday that no felony or misdemeanor complaints against Woods had been filed through the district attorney’s office regarding the crash.

Villanueva’s statement about privacy issues did not make sense to Joseph Giacalone, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a retired New York City Police Department sergeant, who has criticized the sheriff’s response to the Woods incident from the start.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a department ever ask for permission like that,” he said. “What happens if his lawyers say ‘no, you can’t send it out now.’ And then where does that leave us?”

Giacalone said it’s unlikely that deputies would have sought the permission of non-celebrity victims in similar crashes to release information.

If the sheriff’s hesitancy stemmed from a potential medical episode behind the wheel, Giacalone said authorities could simply have simply said it was a medical emergency without giving additional details.

“I don’t think they would have asked any family member of us if they can come out with it,” he said.

Woods is from the Los Angeles area and was home to host his PGA tournament, the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, which ended two days before the crash. He was driving an SUV loaned to him by the tournament.

Woods has never gone an entire year without playing, dating back to his first PGA Tour event as a 16-year-old in high school.

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Cause of Tiger Woods crash found, officials won’t reveal it

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Her winning painting features the famous Jupiter Lighthouse along with fantastical birds, fish, and hibiscus flowers in vibrant colors. The annual event, which features a juried art exhibition, interactive exhibits, children’s activities, live music, and demonstrations, will take place February 13-14 at The Gardens North County District Park in Palm Beach Gardens this year.

“I have such a passion for art that I’ve managed to do this full time my entire professional career,” she says from her studio in Bonita Springs. “My current favorite work is my abstractions, I am moving more into that area after years of working more realistically. I’m phasing out murals to concentrate on that.”

Adele owns a fine art, mural, and wall finish company, and has worked with top designers and interior decorators creating exacting work for dozens of projects. She has made ceiling murals, children’s rooms, outdoor frescos, and even pet portraits.

“You do what you have to but every project that pushes me out of my comfort zone gives me another skill set,” she says. “I do love commissions though as I can work in my style and it’s very freeing.”

Christine still paints by commissions, on both large and small scale, and loves every project. “They (the commissions) make me grow continuously,” she says.

Each assignment comes with the unique desires of the client and constantly pushes her out of her comfort zone, thereby increasing her range as an artist and giving a wider range for her talents and style abilities.

Born in northern New Jersey to an artist mother, Christine studied at Fine Art at the University of Delaware, Maryland Institute College of Art, and New College of Southwest Florida before she settled in Florida. She joined the Art festival circuit in 2017, saying the comradery and interacting with the public is fun and stimulating after working solo in a studio.

The wildly colorful flora and fauna of Florida has been a huge inspiration. Her work shows feathered owls, bright pink Spoonbill Flamingos, flapping sea turtles, vibrant red wildflowers in the breeze.

“I love doing the art festival circuit and showing off these works. Meeting the public, meeting other artists who are like-minded shows we all share a kind of gypsy spirit. I pack up my van and go from festival to festival. Yes, it’s hard work but if you really love what you do it doesn’t feel like hard work.”

As for the winning poster art Adele’s winning entry, titled “Delightful,” is an acrylic painting on canvas highlighted by oil paint. The main image is the iconic dark red Jupiter Lighthouse surrounded by swirling abstract animals and flowers. She says they were not given any kind of direction, but she had spent time in the Jupiter and Hutchinson Island area beaches and took her imagery from days spent at the beach and the parks with her family.

“The art just had to speak to the area, I felt the natural world all around the lighthouse,” she adds.

Adele was among eight artists who submitted entries for the festival’s 2021 commemorative poster.

This year’s theme was “Love of Art.” Adele’s painting, which took two months to paint, was the right fit, said Noel Martinez, chief executive of the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce, which is producing the event.

“This poster represents the beauty of Palm Beach North,” he said. “Its dreamy feel and Florida imagery remind us that we live in a pretty special place.”

This is Adele’s first time to be selected as the ArtiGras Festival poster artist. She has also been selected as a poster artist for an upcoming show in Sarasota.

As the 2021 ArtiGras poster artist, she will receive a free booth during the festival and looks forward to meeting visitors.

The annual event moved to Palm Beach Gardens due to construction after spending two decades in Jupiter. Tickets are $11 per day with advance purchase. Children 12-and-under are free.

More about Christine Adele online at christineadelearts.com

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Christine Adele wows with abstract design for ArtiGras poster

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