Woods, wife unavailable for police interview

WINDERMERE, Florida (AP) — The mystery over a Tiger Woods’ car crash intensified when his agent called state troopers on their way to Woods’ house on Saturday and asked them to wait another day before speaking to him.

It was the second straight day Woods was unavailable to talk. His wife told troopers on Friday, after the world’s No. 1 golfer had been treated and released from a hospital, that he was sleeping and asked that they return Saturday.

Woods is not required by law to speak to the Florida Highway Patrol because it is being investigated as a traffic accident, spokeswoman Sergeant Kim Montes said.

Woods was injured when his Cadillac SUV struck a fire hydrant and a tree just beyond his driveway at 2:25 a.m. Friday. Police said his lips were cut and blood was in his mouth when officers arrived. Police chief Daniel Saylor said Woods’ wife, Elin, smashed the back window with a golf club to help get him out.

Montes said troopers were en route to Woods’ $2.4 million mansion in the gated community of Isleworth when agent Mark Steinberg called dispatch and was put through to the troopers, telling them Woods and his wife were unavailable.

“I don’t know what was said,” Montes said.

Steinberg did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.

With so many questions lingering — where was he going at that hour? — and rumors circulating on the Internet, one marketing expert said silence was only stirring the pot.

“Every 10 seconds these days, people update their tweets,” said David Schwab, vice president of Octagon. “People are just adding speculation and controversy. You need something to settle the ship. If he’s not able to do it, find someone to do it for him.”

Montes said it was “kind of normal” for Woods not to speak on Friday, the day he was treated and released from a hospital.

“It is unusual that we haven’t gotten a statement,” she said. “This just delays us to getting closer to the completion of the investigation.”

She said troopers inside the gates “are looking for other things for their investigation,” and for now, that pertains only to a traffic accident. Montes said Woods is not required to give a statement, only his driver’s license, insurance and registration.

“We still are going to move forward with our crash investigation,” Montes said.

The emergency phone tapes of the crash could be released as early as Sunday.

More than two dozen media and a cluster of TV trucks were camped outside the gates of Isleworth, an exclusive subdivision near Orlando that’s set on an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course and a chain of small lakes, watching for any developments. Even a couple of tourists stopped by and took pictures.

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