(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Venus Williams has decided to break her silence about a fatal car accident that she was involved in.
The 37-year-old tennis star wrote that she is “devastated” in a Facebook post she shared on Friday.
The collision happened on June 9 and sent a 78-year-old man, Jerome Barson to the hospital in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He died two weeks later.
“I am devastated and heartbroken by this accident,” Williams wrote in the post. “My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Jerome Barson and I continue to keep them in my thoughts and prayers.”
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The police report says that Williams was attempting to make it through an intersection when she was T-boned by Barson’s wife who was driving their vehicle. She did not have enough time to stop before Williams cleared the lane.
The victim suffered head trauma and was in the ICU for 14 days before he died of his injuries. His wife survived the crash but suffered broken bones among other injuries.
According to Williams attorney, Malcolm Cunningham, Williams “entered the intersection on a green light” when Mrs. Barson crashed into her vehicle. He went on to say, “Authorities did not issue Ms. Williams with any citations or traffic violations. This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one.”
