POLICE: VENUS WILLIAMS CAUSED DEATH IN CAR CRASH
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.» Tennis star Venus Williams caused a car crash earlier this month that led to the death of a passenger in another vehicle, according to a police report released Thursday.
Palm Beach Gardens police say witnesses told investigators that Williams ran a red light in her 2010 Toyota Sequoia SUV, causing a June 9 crash that injured 78-year-old Jerome Barson, who died two weeks later.
The report says a 2016 Hyundai Accent driven by Barson’s wife, Linda, crashed into the side of Williams’ SUV. Linda Barson told investigators that she was approaching the intersection when her light turned green and that she was unable to stop in time. Linda Barson suffered unspecified moderate injuries. Williams, who turned 37 on June 17, was not hurt.
She told investigators she had entered the six-lane intersection on a green light but had been forced to stop midpoint by traffic ahead of her. She said she did not see the Barsons’ car when she crossed into their lanes.
Palm Beach Gardens Maj. Paul Rogers says the crash remains under investigation and Williams has not been cited or charged. The report says she was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Germany cruises to Confederations Cup final. SOCHI, RUSSIA»
Leon Goretzka scored two quick-fire early goals as Germany beat Mexico 4-1 to reach the Confederations Cup final against Chile on Sunday.
All three German scorers were players making their tournament debuts. After Goretzka netted in the sixth and eighth minutes, Timo Werner and Amin Younes scored in the second half.
DU tops among non-FBS schools.
The University of Denver was the highest-placing non-FBS school in the Learfield Directors’ Cup final standings.
Ten men’s teams and 10 women’s teams can score points for a school, based on national finish in a sport.
Stanford placed first, followed by Ohio State, Florida, Southern Cal and North Carolina.
DU finished 35th overall, its best national ranking. Colorado was 34th, Air Force 67th, Colorado State 98th and Wyoming 124th out of 296 schools.
The Pioneers finished as the highest-ranking school without a football program for the fifth consecutive time and ninth time in the last 10 years. It also was the fourth time that Denver finished as the top non-FBS program.
Buffs to open Pac-12 men’s hoops in Oregon.
Colorado will begin its seventh season in the Pac-12 on the road in Oregon, playing the Ducks as well as Oregon State anywhere from Dec. 27 through Dec. 31. Specific times and dates will be announced later. CU will host Arizona and Arizona State in its first home series the next week.
Footnotes.
The roster of NFL rules arbiters this season will include eight rookies on the field and the league’s first female instant replay official in the booth, Terri Valenti. … The Justice Department is giving up the legal fight over the name of the Washington Redskins. In a letter to a federal appeals court, the department said last week’s Supreme Court decision in favor of an Asian-American band calling itself the Slants means the NFL team will prevail in a legal battle to cancel the team’s trademarks because the name is disparaging to Native Americans. … Louisville’s Brendan McKay won USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player. The first Louisville player and fifth Atlantic Coast Conference player to win the award, McKay starred for the Cardinals as both a pitcher and hitter. As a pitcher this year, he was 8-3 with a 2.22 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 85 innings. At the plate, he had a .341 batting average, 18 home runs, 15 doubles, 51 RBIs and a .457 on-base percentage.