Venus Williams sued over Fla. car crash that killed 78-year-old
Venus Williams is being sued for her role in a tragic car accident that left a woman injured and her 78-year-old husband dead.The wrongful death suit, filed by the victims’ attorney Michael Steinger, accuses Williams of failing to yield the right of way on June 9 when she sped through a Florida intersection despite having a red light. It also claims she was driving recklessly and too fast, ultimately creating an environment in which a crash was inevitable, TMZ reported.
A Hyundai traveling in the Palm Beach Garden area T-boned the back end of Williams' SUV after the athlete entered the intersection.
The Hyundai “was crushed, the front windshield shattered, the airbags deployed, there was crush damage to the rear on the driver’s side, and the back window was shattered” as a result of the impact, according to the suit obtained by TMZ.
Jerome Barson, who was a passenger in the car, experienced internal bleeding, a fractured spine and suffered severe internal organ damage. the 78-year-old man died two weeks later on June 22, his wife, Linda's, 68th birthday.
Linda, who was driving the Hyundai, suffered several broken bones and a cracked sternum.
Steinger is seeking an uspecified amount of damages for pain and suffering, medical and funeral expenses, loss of earnings, and loss of companionship on behalf Linda Barson and the families.
Linda and Jerome had been married for 33 years.
A rep for the 37-year tennis star previously told website Williams was only going 5 MPH when she passed through the intersection and that the light was still green. Williams blamed the traffic that day, claiming it did not allow her vehicle to completely clear the intersection in time.
Palm Beach Gardens Cops said there was no evidence seven-time Grand Slam champion was under the influence at the time of the crash.
The California-native is currently seeded tenth for Wimbledon, which kicks off on Monday.
Her lawyer Michael Cunningham, following the release of the police report, called the incident "an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one."
The Barson’s attorney did not immediately respond to the Daily News’ request for comment.
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