Tennis star Venus Williams is being sued after a deadly car wreck on a Palm Beach Gardens road.
Lawyers for the family of Jerome Barson, 78, say Williams is to blame for his death because she ran a red light on Northlake Boulevard in front of the Ballen Isles Country Club entrance. Williams says she had the green light when she eased her SUV into the middle of Northlake while turning out of the Steeplechase community. The light turned red as Williams waited to turn behind slow or non-moving traffic.
That’s when a car driven by Ester Barson, 68, T-boned Williams’ vehicle as she drove through the intersection under a green light. Witnesses tell a different story, saying Williams ran the red light to make the turn, driving her SUV into the path of the oncoming car.
Ester Barson was not injured but her husband, 78 year old Jerome, died two weeks later of head injuries he got in the collision.
The police report says Williams violated Barson’s right of way, but no charges have yet been filed.
Williams, who turned 37 this month, is a seven-time Grand Slam champion. She has won Wimbledon five times, and says she will play in the upcoming tournament despite the tragedy.
