What is hydrocodone? This is the medication that Tiger Woods had in his pocket when arrested in Florida

An arrest affidavit released Tuesday revealed that police found two white pills identified as hydrocodone in Tiger Woods’ pocket after the golf superstar was involved in another high-profile car accident near his home in Jupiter, Florida, last Friday.

What is hydrocodone?

Hydrocodone is a potent prescription opioid mainly used to manage moderate to severe chronic pain that does not respond to other treatment.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies hydrocodone as a Schedule II controlled substance, meaning it has accepted medical uses but a high potential for abuse and dependence, and is subject to strict regulation in the United States.

Tiger Woods’ history of trouble at the wheel

Woods has had a series of well-documented health issues in recent years, the most serious of which came as a result of a near-fatal car crash in 2021 in which he suffered open fractures to his tibia and fibula and required emergency surgery. At one stage, doctors feared having to amputate his leg.

However, prior to that incident, Woods had already been involved in another accident that was remarkably similar to his most recent one.

In 2017, with years of injury having taken a toll on his body and causing him to rely on medication, police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car with the engine running in Jupiter, Florida, again near his home. He was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

Woods later said the incident was caused by an “unexpected reaction” to prescribed medications. A toxicology report found multiple substances in his system.

Police observations after Woods’ latest crash

The arrest affidavit related to Friday’s incident also explained that Woods “was sweating profusely and had bloodshot, glassy eyes and extremely dilated pupils,” CNN reported. A Martin County sheriff’s deputy described the 50-year-old’s movements as “lethargic and slow,” meaning he was “unable to safely operate the motor vehicle.”

A local police investigation conducted in the immediate aftermath of the crash concluded that Woods had rolled his Land Rover after attempting to overtake a pressure-cleaning truck “at high speed” as it slowed on a small two-lane road.

Woods told a sheriff’s deputy he had not been aware of the truck slowing down because he had briefly looked down at his cell phone and changed the radio station.

According to John Budensiek, a spokesperson for the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the county in which Jupiter Island is located, all occupants of the vehicle escaped unharmed. The local fire department provided the same account of the incident, which occurred at around 2:00 p.m. local time.

What has Tiger Woods been charged with?

In the hours after the accident, it was revealed that the 15-time major champion tested negative on a breathalyzer administered after the incident, but he was taken into police custody after refusing to undergo a narcotics test.

Woods, who has since been released on bail, now faces criminal charges for what in the United States is classified as DUI, driving under the influence of intoxicating substances, as well as for refusing to submit to a lawful test and for property damage.

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