WTA: Venus Williams reaches agreement with family of accident victim

Venus Williams has been able to reach an out-of-court settlement after her accident with a fatality through no fault of her own.

The relevant court documents have only just been published. Further details of the agreement were not disclosed. The accident occurred on 9 June 2017 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Venus Williams had braked at an intersection to let a turning car pass. When she continued her journey according to the traffic rules, the traffic lights had already changed.

It was at this time that 68-year-old Linda Barson drove her car and collided with Williams’ car. Her husband Jerome (78) died two weeks later from the severe head injuries he had suffered in the accident.

The police later determined after evaluating the surveillance videos that the seven-time Grand Slam winner had not violated any traffic rules and therefore could not be blamed for the accident.

Venus Williams had taken the events in Florida with him. When the 38-year-old was asked about the accident a short time later at a press conference at the Wimbledon tournament, she burst into tears.

The older Williams sister has a disappointing tennis year behind her. In 2018, she started fifth in the world rankings and her best result of the past season was her semi-final appearance in Indian Wells. It currently ranks 39th in the WTA ranking.