Tennis legend Venus Williams has scored a major win in the legal battle against the family of Jerome Barson.
The elderly man lost his life on June 9th after a collision of cars set off a ripple effect, something his relatives are blaming on Williams in their civil lawsuit.
However, police are now saying the 37-year-old drove lawfully. ESPN reports:
Williams legally entered an intersection but was cut off by another car, setting off a chain of events that seconds later resulted in a fatal crash with a third car, police say a video released Friday shows.
The video, taken by a security camera, shows Williams heading north as she stops her 2010 Toyota Sequoia SUV at a stoplight behind a white car as she exits her Palm Beach Gardens neighborhood shortly after 1 p.m. on June 9.
When the light turns green, the white car turns left onto a six-lane, heavily traveled boulevard, but Williams heads straight. A dark-colored sedan traveling south turns left in front of her, causing her to stop.
Palm Beach Gardens police said in a statement Friday that Barson’s light had turned green just before Williams moved in front of her. Barson’s 78-year-old husband, Jerome Barson, died June 22 from injuries suffered in the crash.
Williams, who was not hurt, has not been cited or charged. Police spokesman Maj. Paul Rogers said Friday the video has caused investigators to re-evaluate their original conclusion that Williams was at fault.
Though the investigation is on-going, it’s a significant development in favor of Williams, who broke down in tears over the situation at a Wimbledon press conference this week.
Breaking her silence on the matter just days before, Williams said: