Venus Williams says there was another driver at least partially at fault in the fatal crash she was involved in that killed a 78-year-old man in Florida June.
In a new court filing in the wrongful death case of Jerome Barson against the 37-year-old tennis star, Williams says there was a third driver in a dark colored sedan who drove away from the scene unscathed.
The sedan was heading in the opposite direction and that violated her right of way by cutting in front in her in the intersection to make a left turn.
Venus says that other driver’s ‘improper left hand turn’ made her slow down to avoid hitting the sedan, according to TMZ, which effectively left her hanging in the intersection.
Venus Williams says there was a third driver who is at least partly to blame to the June crash that killed Jerome Barson- his wife Linda Barson was injured (pictured together, right)
Seconds later Linda Barson t-boned Venus’ SUV. Barson’s husband Jerome Barson later died from his injuries in the accident.
Venus says if she’s at all at fault, the unidentified sedan driver should at least share in the blame.
A police report initially said Williams was to blame for the crash because she turned left into the Barson’s path and that they had the legal right of way when they slammed into her.
But investigators later said she entered the intersection on a green light and was forced to stop because another car cut in front of her, according to security camera footage.
The Barsons’ Hyundai after the collision with Williams is pictured. The car was totaled
Williams turned over cellphone records to attorneys representing the family of 78-year-old Barson who died after a June 9 car crash in June
‘Venus Williams entered that intersection on a green light, her progress was impeded and she had the right by state law to get through the intersection,’ her lawyer Malcolm Cunningham said.
As the wrongful death case in Palm Beach County Court unfolds- Venus had to turn over phone records to the Barson family attorney in August.
Jerome Barson’s family sought the records to find out if Williams was on the phone and distracted just prior to the crash.
Her lawyers say Williams wasn’t distracted.
Barson died 13 days after police say Williams drove into the path of the sedan Barsons’ wife was driving. Williams hasn’t been cited or charged by police.
Palm Beach Gardens Police are still investigating the crash and officials have not determined who was at fault
In July, Williams opposed a ‘notice of production’, objecting to a motion that asked to see her cellphone records as part of the wrongful death lawsuit filed against her.
Barson’s lawyers have said security camera footage shows Williams moving her hand towards her face in the moments before the June 9 collision – and they want to know if she was using a cellphone.
Williams insists her signal was green when she turned into the intersection of Northlake Boulevard and BallenIsles Drive, saying she couldn’t get clear of the intersection because of traffic.
The light turned while Williams was still in the intersection, and Linda Barson was driving a Hyundai Accent when it T-boned the tennis star.
Her husband, who was seated in the passenger seat, was taken to the hospital with internal bleeding and organ damage before he died two weeks later on his wife’s 68th birthday.
Lawyers for the 37-year-old tennis star (pictured in July) said they will turn over phone records that span a two-and-a-half-hour period before and after the crash
Williams’ attorneys also said Jerome Barson was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash – a claim his lawyers disputed, arguing the car’s ‘black box’ showed both passengers had buckled up.
The Wimbledon finalist is also claiming the Barsons failed to adequately maintain and repair their vehicle and blasts the extent of the plaintiff’s alleged permanent injury, scarring or disfigurement.
The lawsuit claims Linda Barson suffered a crack sternum, a shattered right arm, broken right wrist, hand, and fingers – which Venus is now demanding be stricken from the complaint due to them being ‘immaterial’ and ‘impertinent’ to the case.
According to court papers, Venus is now demanding the estate hand over all autopsy reports, death certificate, copies of marriage certificates, tax returns for past five years, life insurance policies, health insurance policies.
Meanwhile, the Barsons’ attorney Michael Steinger said data from Williams’ SUV shows she accelerated from 0 to 20mph in just four seconds.
Steingner told TMZ that he believes Venus ‘looked up, saw the red light and gunned it’ before being t-boned by the Barsons.