Body Camera Footage from Venus Williams’ Car Crash Released
Body camera footage from the moments following Venus
Williams‘ June 9 collision
with another car in Florida was released Thursday.
In the video, police informed Williams, 37, that she was “at fault” in the
fatal car accident. But while police initially said Williams was at fault for
the crash, several weeks later police said Williams had “lawfully entered the
intersection,” and told PEOPLE there was “no final
determination” of who was at fault.
At one point in the video, a Palm Beach Gardens Police Department officer
informed the tennis star that she had violated the right of way of Jerome and
Linda Barson, but that she would not be cited.
“You were at fault,” Officer David Dowling told Williams while she sat in her
vehicle in a video obtained by The
Palm Beach Post.
“You just got stuck in a bad situation here,” he later said. “Let the
insurance companies work it out. I don’t feel comfortable writing you a citation
when I’m not 100 percent sure, and I’m not 100 percent sure in this case.”
Williams responded: “I never saw that car coming, so I don’t know if they — I
don’t think they stopped at the red light.”
Dowling told Williams that because of the changing traffic light, she “kind
of violated his right of way.”
According to Palm Beach Gardens police, Williams, traveling north, entered
the intersection on a green light.
But because of heavy traffic, she became held
up in the intersection when another car “entered the intersection traveling
south, and made a left turn in front of William’s vehicle, causing her to stop
advancing through the intersection to avoid a collision,” a police press release
states.
During that time, Barson’s light turned green.
Moments later, Linda Barson drove through the same intersection on a green
light and T-boned
Williams’ vehicle, the press release states. Williams was driving about 5
mph when the crash occurred.
Jerome Barson, 78, is seen in one video saying, “I’m a little confused.” He
died two weeks later from his injuries, and his widow, Linda, filed a wrongful
death lawsuit again Williams.
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