Venus Williams Escape Charges For Deadly Car Accident

The power of being a superstar.

Us Weekly reports that Venus Williams was not deemed responsible for a car crash that left one man dead, and, as such, will not face charges by police. The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department confirmed the news to the magazine, noting that the driver of the other vehicle, Linda Barson, will not be charged either.


According to the Associated Press, another unidentified third vehicle illegally cut off Williams before the crash, which led to the fatal accident.

It was earlier reported that, Williams was involved in a car accident in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. in June 2017. She was forced to stop as she pulled into an intersection. Barson's Hyundai Accent then T-boned Williams, as it allegedly could not stop in time. Barson's 78-year-old husband, Jerome, was a passenger in her car at the time and suffered multiple broken bones and head trauma from the crash. Though he was placed in the ICU, he ultimately passed away nearly two weeks later.

Barson later filed a wrongful death suit against Williams, claiming the athlete had "failed to yield the right of way, blew through a red light, drove too fast while distracted, and recklessly created a situation where the accident was unavoidable." Williams then hit back, alleging that Barson's car had not been properly maintained and that Barson's husband had not been wearing his seatbelt when the crash occurred.

In July, police determined that Williams had "lawfully entered" the intersection.

As for the police department's decision to not charge Williams, Barson's lawyer, Michael Steinger, reportedly believes that the authorities have it all wrong and noted that he and his client will still be pursuing their lawsuit against the tennis player (via AP).

Ms. Williams clearly violated our client's right of way because our client had a green light, as indicated in each and every police report issued in this case to date," Steinger stated. "The report is further inaccurate because the video surveillance does not indicate the color of Ms. Williams' light and therefore does not support the police department's conclusion."