Just a few days before the 2017 Wimbledon Championships kicked off, Venus Williams was involved in a serious automobile accident close to her home in Florida which resulted to the demise of the 78-year-old Jerome Barson.
In a press conference after the match following her 7-6(7) 7-6(7), 6-4 in the first round victory against Belgian Elise Mertens at the 2017 Wimbledon tennis tournament, the American player was asked questions more regarding the tragic incident than about tennis. It was a struggle to talk, but she was unable to contain the tears, her face covered within her arms.
Williams was shocked by what happened and, when asked how she was coping mentally she admitted she was grieving for the younger sibling Serena Williams, who was expecting at the time, and was unable to attend this year’s Grand Slam event.
Williams was forced to go out of the room for a short time before returning and continued the press event.
Venus Williams and Barsons settled the death suit in the year 2018
Venus Williams was cleared by the police
The wife of Jerome Barson, Linda who was driving when the incident occurred when she hit Williams’s SUV on June 9th the 9th of June, 2017. While Linda suffered only minor damage, Williams was struck by the injury of a broken spinal cord as well as other internal injuries. He passed away 13 days after. The couple is survived by their wife (33 year marriage) and three children along with 13 great-grandchildren. Williams was not injured in the accident.
Initially, Palm Beach Gardens police were able to determine that tennis players were responsible because she had jumped at a red light and resulted in the crash. Williams was accused of negligence from the estate Jerome Barson. Police ruled that the tennis star was not drunk or drugs, and neither was she on her cell phone while driving. However, they maintained that she erred in driving into the lane of an elderly couple.
Venus Williams claimed that she did not jump the red light, and instead went through a six-lane crossing at a green light however, she was stopped in mid-air due to traffic. She didn’t look at the car that was parked next to her.
In November of 2018, Williams and the Barsons came to an agreement to end the lawsuit but without making specifics public. The tennis icon as well as Linda Barson were earlier acquitted by the police following an incident report indicated that a third vehicle, unnamed, did not know about Williams her path when they were following the green light.
