Venus blamed for crash that killed elderly man
VENUS Williams has been blamed for a car crash which left an elderly man dead.
The tennis star was trying to get across a junction when she was hit from the side by another car.
Jerome Barson, 78, was a passenger being driven by his wife and suffered serious head injuries.
He was taken to hospital but died two weeks later on June 23.
The crash happened on June 9 and a police report said that Miss Williams was ‘at fault for violating the right of way of [the other driver]’.
A spokesman for the Barson family told the Daily Mail: ‘The amount of pain the family is feeling right now is enormous.’
Miss Williams, 37, is due to compete at Wimbledon next week where she is the tenth seed.
It is not clear if she suffered any injuries. Citing a police report, showbusiness website TMZ reported that the seven-times Grand Slam winner was involved in the accident in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Mr Barson’s wife said that Miss Williams’ SUV ‘suddenly darted’ into the intersection and there was no time to stop before she crashed into the side of the tennis star’s vehicle.
TMZ said that Miss Williams told police she was trying to get across the intersection but traffic was backed up and she had to slow down to a crawl, leaving her caught in the middle.
Mr Barson was taken to the intensive care unit but died two weeks later.
His wife was taken to hospital with broken bones and other injuries but survived.
A diagram on the police report shows Miss Williams’ car in the middle of the intersection with the Barsons’ vehicle hitting its side.
Police say there was no evidence Miss Williams was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or that she was distracted by a mobile phone. Pictures on Mr Barson’s Facebook profile show him posing with a woman thought to be his wife, Linda, 68.
Below a photo of Mr Barson on Facebook a friend wrote: ‘You will be missed.’
In one the couple hold hands and in another he is hugging Mickey Mouse dressed as a waiter.
Miss Williams is the elder sister of fellow tennis star Serena, 35, who is off the pro tour as she is pregnant with her first child. The two are credited with having changed the modern game and broken through racial barriers on their way to the No1 rank, which they have both held. Serena is currently No 4.
The Williams sisters have two residences in Palm Beach Gardens close to the site of the crash. They also train in the area.
The sisters have a £1.9million property and a separate 11,000 sq ft home in a gated golf community which they finished building in 2000 after buying it for £400,000 in 1998.
The incident is not the first time Miss Williams has been in trouble with the law for her driving.
In September 2009 she was fined £90 by the Jupiter Police Department in Florida for driving without proof of insurance in her Mercedes Benz.
The fine was raised to £107 due to late payment.
In May 2013 Miss Williams’ licence was suspended after she failed to pay fines – she eventually paid the £125 she owed.
Two months later she was involved in a crash in Palm Beach County while driving her Toyota and was given a ticket for driving while on a suspended or revoked licence.
Nobody for Miss Williams was available for comment and she has yet to comment on any of her social media accounts.
‘Family feeling enormous pain’