The Los Angeles County sheriff said detectives have determined what caused Tiger Woods to crash his SUV last month in Southern California but would not release details, citing unspecified privacy concerns for the golf star.

Woods suffered serious injuries in the February 23 crash when he struck a raised median around 7am 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. Woods is in Florida recovering from multiple surgeries.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva has been criticised for his comments about the crash, calling it “purely an accident” and saying there was no evidence of impairment. Woods was unconscious when a witness first approached the mangled SUV. But 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’s blood samples, which could be screened for drugs and alcohol. Detectives, however, did obtain a search warrant for the data recorder of the 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV.

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

But Villanueva claimed investigators need permission from Woods to release information about the crash due to “privacy issues”.