A judge has granted a request from Jerome Barson’s family to subpoena Venus Williams’ phone records in a wrongful death lawsuit. The records will reveal whether the tennis star was driving distracted at the time of the collision that killed Mr. Barson last June.
Barson was a passenger in the vehicle when his wife, Linda, drove their vehicle into Williams’ Sequoia in West Palm Beach, Florida. The 78-year-old man suffered head trauma and internal bleeding. He was taken to the hospital, but later died.
The initial official police report stated that the tennis star was at fault in the accident. Police say Williams sped through a red light travelling well over the speed limit. Law enforcement has yet to release the video evidence captured on traffic cameras.
Williams’ attorney released a statement after the initial police report was made public.
“Ms. Williams entered the intersection on a green light,” the statement read. “The police report estimates that Ms. Williams was traveling at 5 mph when Mrs. Barson crashed into her. Authorities did not issue Ms. Williams with any citations or traffic violations.”
After the Palm Beach Police Department concluded their investigation, they determined that Williams was not at fault for the accident.
Police also stated that there was no evidence Williams was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Law enforcement officials do not believe the tennis star was distracted by an electronic device or cell phone at the time of the crash.
The police department also determined that the other vehicle, driven by Linda Barson, was also not a fault.
Williams and her lawyer tell a different story. Williams alleges that she entered an intersection on a green light, but waited for another vehicle to complete a turn. At that point, Barson’s vehicle allegedly hit Williams’ car.
Williams has called Barson’s death “an unfortunate accident,” but has not conceded in the wrongful death lawsuit.
The tennis star was deposed in November as part of the wrongful death lawsuit brought on by the Barson family. The family is seeking damages in excess of $15,000, according to ABC News.
No charges will be filed in the case.
“Based upon this investigation and relevant Florida state statutes, no charges will be filed in this case,” according to an 18-page traffic homicide investigation released by Palm Beach Gardens police.
In bodycam footage released to the public, Williams said she was “caught in the middle” and “never saw that car coming.”
Th officer explained why he did not issue her a citation.
“I’m not giving you a citation, because I don’t feel comfortable writing a citation when I’m not 100 percent sure,” he said. “And I’m not 100 percent sure in this case, because you had the right of way but lost the right of way.”
The Barson family’s case is all too common in America today. Motor vehicle accidents are still a leading cause of death in the United States, according to law firm Mainor Wirth. Each year, accidents claim the lives of 1.25 million people. Another 20-50 million people suffer injuries that sometimes result in disability.
