Police report: Venus Williams at fault in deadly crash
June 30, 2017
Tennis star Venus Williams was to blame for a fatal car crash that occurred earlier this month in Florida, according to a police report released late on Thursday. The former top-ranked player ran a red light, causing the collision that badly injured 78-year-old Jerome Barson. Barson died two weeks later.
According to the report, on the evening of June 9, Williams was at an intersection in Palm Beach Gardens after the traffic light had turned red. Her 2010 Toyota SUV then collided with a 2016 Hyundai driven by Barson's wife, Linda.
Linda Barson suffered mild injuries, while Williams was unharmed. Then tennis pro told investigators that she had entered the intersection on a green light, but was forced to stop because of traffic ahead.
Police spokesman Paul Rogers has said that the crash is still under investigation and Venus Wiliams has not be charged with any crime. Williams expressed her "deepest condolences" to the Barson family.
Venus Williams, 37, has won seven Grand Slam titles, on top of several doubles victories with her younger sister Serena. She announced in 2011 that she had been diagnosed with the autoimmune disease Sjogren's syndrome, and has seen her ranking slip considerably since then as she copes with her illness.
es/msh (AP, Reuters)