As the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the June 9 crash involving tennis star, Venus Williams, police have released video they say determines Williams “lawfully entered” the intersection ahead of the accident that resulted in a man’s death.
According to the statement from police today, Williams was trying to travel north through the intersection, when a “Nissan Altima entered the intersection traveling south, and made a left turn in front of Williams’ vehicle, causing her to stop advancing through the intersection to avoid a collision.”
After Williams began to travel north again through the intersection, Linda Barson, who was driving a Hyundai Accent with her husband, Jerome Barson, as a passenger, was traveling west and came to a red light that “then cycled to green, at which time Barson continued westbound and entered the intersection. The front end of Barson’s vehicle collided with the right front of William’s vehicle,” the statement from police says.
After the accident, Jerome Barson, 78, was taken to a local hospital, where he later died from injuries sustained in the crash. Williams faces a wrongful death lawsuit from Barson’s family. The family is seeking damages in excess of $15,000, according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by ABC News.
According to the original police report obtained by ABC News, Williams was “at fault for violating the right of way of [the other driver].”
The new statement from police closes with, “This updated information, based upon new evidence, is still under investigation.”
When asked whether Williams is still considered “at fault,” police told ABC News, “The investigation is still underway and a final determination has not been made at this time.”
In a statement Friday, Michael Steinger, attorney for the Barson family, said that the video “continues to support the fact that Ms. Williams remained in the intersection at a red light, violating the Barsons’ right of way.”
“There is nothing that disputes Ms. Williams was in the intersection on a red light, and the witnesses clearly confirm the Barsons had a green light and lawfully entered the intersection,” the statement continued.
After the collision and Barson’s death, Malcolm Cunningham, an attorney for Williams, noted in a statement in late June that authorities did not issue her any citations for traffic violations.
“Ms. Williams entered the intersection on a green light. The police report estimates that Ms. Williams was traveling at 5 miles per hour when Mrs. Barson crashed into her,” he said. “This is an unfortunate accident, and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one.”
In another statement Friday, Cunningham said, “The update from the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department and video released today show that Venus lawfully entered the intersection on a green light and was impeded in her progress through the intersection.
“As the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department points out, once Ms. Williams entered the intersection lawfully, she had the right to proceed through the intersection and other vehicles including those with a red light changing to green, were obligated to yield the right-of-way to Ms. Williams. Ms. Williams is grateful for the continued diligence and efforts of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department in its investigation. At the same time, as this process moves forward, she remains deeply saddened by the loss suffered by the Barson family and continues to keep them in her thoughts and prayers.”
