[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The cause of the accident involving 'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods, who suffered severe leg injuries in a vehicle rollover accident, remains unknown, but U.S. police have obtained the vehicle's black box to investigate the cause.
According to the Associated Press on the 3rd (local time), the Los Angeles (LA) County Sheriff's Department stated that they are examining the black box installed in the Genesis SUV GV80 involved in the rollover accident.
The Sheriff's Department reportedly executed a search warrant on the GV80's black box to allow traffic accident investigators to analyze driving data and records at the time of Woods' rollover accident.
Earlier, Woods was involved in a car rollover accident on a downhill curved road in LA County on the 23rd of last month. He sustained severe leg injuries and underwent emergency surgery.
Woods had visited LA as the host of the PGA Genesis Invitational tournament sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company and borrowed a GV80 from Hyundai during his stay.
The police stated in their initial investigation that they found no evidence of Woods drinking alcohol or using drugs at the time of the accident and indicated they would exclude criminal charges. However, they later confirmed the possibility of speeding and began securing black box data.
Previously, some media outlets such as Fox News reported, based on opinions from vehicle forensic experts, that Woods might have been drowsy driving at the time.
The hypothesis is that he failed to reduce speed in time due to drowsy driving on the downhill curved section.
In the U.S., installing a vehicle black box is not mandatory, but experts expect that the GV80 Woods was driving, as a Genesis model under Hyundai's luxury brand, would have more detailed information recorded on its black box.
Released in January last year, the GV80 is the first SUV under the Genesis brand, equipped with numerous convenience and safety features.
This vehicle includes 10 airbags, a 'Driver Attention Alert' that sounds an alarm if the driver is drowsy, 'Evasive Steering Assist' to prevent collisions with obstacles, and a forward collision warning system, among other safety functions.
The Associated Press reported, "Hyundai's luxury brand GV80 is likely equipped with a new version of the black box," adding, "This black box is expected to contain valuable data for authorities' investigation."
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