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Atwal in Florida car crash probe
Atwal said no-one was at fault for the crash |
Indian golfer Arjun Atwal is under investigation after a man died in what police in the US say appears to have been a high-speed car race.
Atwal was unhurt in the crash in Orlando, Florida, but 48-year-old John Noah Park was killed.
No charges have been filed against Atwal. He has expressed sorrow for the death but said no-one was at fault.
He was the first Indian player to win on the European Tour before earning his place on the US Tour.
Mr Park was severely injured after his Mercedes smashed into a tree near Orlando on Saturday afternoon. He later died in hospital.
A Florida police spokeswoman said the investigation into the cause of the crash could take up to two months.
'Violent crash'
Skid marks on the road and other evidence would be used to reconstruct what happened before any charges were filed, the spokeswoman, Kim Miller, told the Associated Press news agency.
"At a minimum, he is facing a charge of engaging in a street race," she said of Atwal. "We have to see if this crash rises to the level of any other charges.
"Witnesses tell us they were engaged in a street race. They estimated speeds at or about 100mph [160kph]. Park's vehicle hit a tree and basically just shattered.
"Part of the axle was found in the tree. It was a very violent crash."
She said that Atwal's BMW had spun and come to rest on a bend in the road. The two cars did not collide.
In a statement, Atwal said he had not known the dead man and expressed his condolences to his family.
The golfer said he could not comment on the accident because of the police investigation.
"Once all of the facts have been gathered and the investigation completed, it will be abundantly clear that this was simply a horrible accident and tragedy, with no one at fault," the statement said.
US PGA Tour officials declined to comment on the incident.
