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I saw a news headline that reads: he admits accident was caused by drunk driving.

My question is why they use present tense (admits) instead of past tense (admitted). The news was written after the confession.

Shouldn't it be: he admitted that accident was caused by drunk driving

G SXXIII
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    Newspaper headlines are usually made as short as possible. Even though the driver's admission (in words) has already happened, presumably he still acknowledges that drink was the cause of the accident. – Kate Bunting Nov 19 '20 at 09:26
  • The above from Kate Bunting is the most accurate answer: if someone admitted something and you assume they still admit it, it makes sense to use the present, especially when they face consequences in the present or future: he admits the offence and will stand trial. If it was purely a matter of events in the past then it makes sense to use the past tense throughout.("He admitted the offence and was sentenced to 10 years in jail") – Stuart F Nov 19 '20 at 16:57

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Putting it in present tense conveys the sense that it is happening now, as if the man was telling you the reader in this moment. It can also read as secretive, like you've just been let in on a secret. Both impressions serve to capture readers' attention and compel them to read the article.

FeliniusRex - gone
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This usage is called the historic present.

In linguistics and rhetoric, the historical present or historic present, also called dramatic present or narrative present, is the employment of the present tense when narrating past events. - Wikipedia

It works because English tenses are referenced to a somewhat arbitrary ‘now’

Lawrence
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This is known as the vivid present in grammatical terms. The idea is that the use of a present tense creates immediacy and drama. This vivid present helps emphasise the action happening, rather than its completion.

Sivaram Rasathurai
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