It was reported that Venus Williams was found legally responsible for the accident that killed 78-year-old Jerome Barson, but new video evidence shows that Williams’ was lawfully in the right.
Barson suffered head trauma and was taken to a hospital and placed in ICU. He never recovered and died 2 weeks later. Barson’s wife Linda, who was driving, was also taken to the hospital with broken bones and other injuries, but survived … according to her attorney Michael Steinger.
The Barson Family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Williams and their attorney, Michael Steinger, has accused the tennis star of running a red light.
“[Venus] is at fault for violating the right of way of [the other driver],” the police report reads, according to TMZ.
The Associated Press reviewed video evidence of the accident, proving that Williams was legally in the right. They described what happened in the video below.
“After reviewing footage from a nearby security camera, police in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., have rescinded their original statement that Venus Williams was at fault for a June 9 car crash that led to the death of the passenger in the other vehicle.
A police department statement says investigators had located new video evidence, “surveillance footage … obtained from a community south of the intersection which recorded the traffic crash.”
“Williams legally entered an intersection but was cut off by another car, setting off a chain of events that seconds later resulted in a fatal crash with a third car, police say video released Friday shows.
“The video, taken by a security camera, shows Williams heading north as she stops her 2010 Toyota Sequoia SUV at a stoplight behind a white car as she exits her Palm Beach Gardens neighborhood shortly after 1 p.m. June 9.
“When the light turns green, the white car turns left onto a six-lane, heavily traveled boulevard, but Williams heads straight. A dark colored sedan turns left in front of her, causing her to stop.
“She then continues straight into the far, westbound lanes, where her SUV is struck in the passenger’s side by a 2016 Hyundai sedan driven by Linda Barson.”
Williams has released an official statement in regards to the accident from her attorney.
“Ms. Williams entered the intersection on a green light,” her attorney Malcolm Cunningham said. “The police report estimates that Ms. Williams was traveling at 5 mph when Mrs. Barson crashed into her. Authorities did not issue Ms. Williams with any citations or traffic violations. This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one.”
She was asked about the accident in an interview, and talked about it in tears.
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