Venus Williams is dealing with a death lawsuit from the family of a guy who passed away in a Florida auto accident including the tennis star, states an attorney.
The 78-year-old man suffered enormous fatal injuries from the 9 June crash in Palm Beach Gardens city, an attorney for his widow states.
As per the cops, Ms Williams was at fault for the traffic mishap, which triggered the death of Jerome Barson.
The investigation report says Linda Barson told police she was driving with her spouse, Jerome, in the passenger seat of their 2016 Hyundai Accent at the time of the accident.
Mrs Barson informed police that as they traveled through an intersection on a green light, Williams’ 2010 Toyota Sequoia cut across in front of their vehicle.
Williams told cops she ended up being stuck in the middle of the intersection because of other traffic.
“Mrs Barson is suffering extreme grief and doesn’t understand how she will go on,” her legal representative, Michael Steinger, informed ABC television’s Good Morning America.
“Her husband of 35 years was struck by Venus Williams, who was at fault in an automobile accident, which ultimately resulted in Mr Barson being hospitalized 14 days with numerous surgical treatments which led to his death.”
The lawsuit, filed by the couple’s child, Audrey Gassner-Dunayer, asserts that her daddy’s injuries included “severed main arteries, massive internal bleeding, a fractured spine, and huge internal organ damage”.
The Barsons’ vehicle was “crushed, the front windshield shattered, the airbags deployed, there was crush damage to the back on the motorist’s side, and the back window was shattered”, the lawsuit says.
The lawyer included: “At this point, we are trying to both preserve the proof and gain access to evidence.”
Mr Barson passed away in hospital on 22 June, his spouse Linda’s 68th birthday.
Mrs Barson was also admitted to hospital after the crash.
Ms Williams was not injured.
As per cops report obtained by US media, Williams “is at fault for breaching the right of way of” the Barsons’ vehicle.
Williams’ vehicle suddenly darted into their path and was not able to clear the junction in time because of traffic jams, witnesses informed cops.
The cops incident report states that the estimated speed of Williams’ vehicle at the time was 5mph (8km/h).
The incident took place just days after the seven-time Grand Slam champ was eliminated from the French Open.
Williams has not been criminally charged.
