Tennis star Venus Williams at fault in fatal car crash
By admin - 2019-02-09 04:40:32

A Palm Beach Gardens police report released Thursday says tennis star Venus Williams was at fault in a June 9 car crash that caused the death of Jerome Barson, 78, who was riding in another vehicle. Barson died two weeks after the collision, ABC News reports.

According to the report, witnesses saw Williams, who was driving a 2010 Toyota Sequoia SUV, run a red light and crash into the side of a 2016 Hyundai Accent driven by Barson’s wife, Linda, 68, who suffered broken bones and other injuries, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Williams was unhurt and has not been cited in the incident. She was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the report said.

“The police report estimated that Ms. Williams was traveling at 5 miles per hour when Mrs. Barson crashed into her,” said F. Malcolm Cunningham Jr, an attorney representing Williams, in the Palm Beach Post report. “This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one.”

Jerome Barson is listed as a tennis professional on his death certificate, but records show that the Barsons ran a business booking cruises.

Venus Williams is the older sister of tennis sensation Serena Williams. She has won seven Grand Slam titles, including five at Wimbledon.

In 2011, Williams revealed she had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called Sjogren’s syndrome. Although her ranking fell outside the top 100 between 2011 and 2014, in January she was a finalist at the Australian Open, where she was defeated by her sister, Serena.