In the spring, Venus Williams was involved in a car accident near her home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Venus entered a busy intersection on a green light, was driving cautiously and slowly as she yielded the right of way to another driver, and then she was T-boned by another car, which was being driven by an elderly woman. The elderly woman’s husband sustained many injuries from the crash, and he died a few weeks later. The widow sued Venus for wrongful death, and it seems like the police didn’t believe Venus’s statement, which was that she lawfully entered the intersection on the green light. People treated Venus like she was driving recklessly, like she was the one who plowed into another car. After the initial Venus-blaming headlines – and after Venus openly wept at Wimbledon when asked about the crash – it turned out that there was security-camera footage from a nearby business which confirmed Venus’s story. Oh, and the elderly couple? They weren’t wearing their seatbelts (which is against the law). So, long story short, the cops have now announced that no criminal charges will be filed against Venus whatsoever.
No charges will be filed against tennis star Venus Williams and a second driver over a car crash that left one dead in June, Florida authorities said Wednesday. The accident, in which the other driver’s Hyundai Accent crashed into Williams’ Toyota Sequoia, left Jerome Barson dead. It injured his wife, Linda, who was driving when the crash happened at an intersection in Palm Beach Gardens.
An investigation supported by video surveillance showed Williams did not violate the other driver’s right of way, the Palm Beach Gardens Police said in an investigative report obtained by CNN affiliate WPBF.
“Based upon this investigation and relevant Florida state statutes, no charges will be filed in this case,” the report said.
The widow pretty much said she straight-up wanted Venus to be tried for murder, so… I’m glad that Venus doesn’t have to deal with that side anymore.
I assume that the widow’s civil case is still pending, so this isn’t over. Just the criminal part is over, the police investigation part. I’m shocked (not really) that the cops didn’t cite the widow for driving without a seatbelt, considering that actually is against the law.
Meanwhile, Venus has a new boyfriend. And they go Dutch on their date nights!!
Venus Williams is seeing a new guy. The tennis star was on a date with Nicholas Hammond at Tom and Anthony Martignetti’s East Pole restaurant last week.
“They were cuddled up the entire time they were inside the restaurant, even kissing while waiting to be seated and continuing the affection at their table,” a spy told us.
The couple shared dishes before splitting the bill. One of Hammond’s first public outings with Williams was in her family’s box at the US Open.
“It’s relatively new. I’m not sure she’s calling him [her] boyfriend yet. They’ve been going on dates,” a source said. Williams and Hammond were also together in New Orleans during sister Serena’s wedding weekend, but media outlets wrongly ID’d him as Venus’ ex, Elio Pis.
Elio Pis, her last boyfriend, was crazy-hot. I don’t know about this new guy. But I enjoy the fact that Venus is like “you pay for your own meal and I’ll pay for mine, okay?” Venus is so badass.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Good because she shouldn’t have had to face any charges.
Agreed. The footage clearly showed she was not in the wrong. It seemed like a witch hunt from the beginning
As supported by the fact that I remember the sensational headlines immediately following the accident, yet this is the first I’ve heard anything about the investigation showing the driver of the other car was the cause of the accident.
Glad to hear she is not going to face any charges. Her being a celebrity helped as well.
Agreed. She shouldn’t face any charges since she did nothing wrong.
And sigh… I am so jealous of her arms.
She did nothing wrong. The other woman was at fault and she has a lot of gall trying to sue Venus for her own bad driving.
Exactly. Feel sorry for the old lady but it was not Venus’ fault. At all.
This should never have been a thing in the first place. Venus has been incredibly gracious in the face of that woman and her family trying to defame her. There are several publications out there who owe her an abject apology and heading the list should be whoever was the moron who asked her about it at the tournament.
+1 I felt awful for Venus. So so glad there was camera footage to confirm her account.
YUP!! I can’t imagine what Venus has been going through.
Wonderful news! I totally forgot about the accident. I am so happy! Happy hols Venus!
Good. That is all. Go enjoy your man and your beautiful niece, Venus.
She’s beautiful. I am glad the police investigation cleared her. I am sure the widow is in grief and being manhandled by lawyers. Sad situation.
Or a raging racist. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
No fcuking kidding! Took them long enough.
Zero sympathy for the widow. She’s trying for a money grab despite the fact she’s responsible for the accident.
OT but I never understood why people don’t wear seat belts????? I feel naked if mine isn’t on.
The first thing I do is buckle up. It’s easier to wear a seat belt than to listen to the obnoxious beeping noise
I am so used to wearing a seat-belt, as a driver and a passenger, that indeed, I feel naked if I don’t wear one. One of my greatest pet heeves ever is when I share a ride or I get into a taxi, I buckle up, and other pax or the driver tell me “no, you don’t have to wear the seat-belt”. Then some people are offended if I use it and ask me “what, you think I am not a good driver”? I did ask people a couple of times to explain to me why I should not buckle up, and surprise, no answer. I wear it because I feel safer. So I always buckle up, in cars, buses, airplanes. I have been to places where they don’t have seat-belts in all the cars, and not only they drive like crazy, they have high rates road traffic accidents plus fatal and non-fatal injuries.
I never understood why the widow wasn’t at fault in this. She appears to have gunned it into an intersection that wasn’t clear. It isn’t unusual for cars to still be in an intersection after the light turns. In my state, oncoming cars have to yield to those still clearing immediately after a light change at an intersection.
Hmm
There’s a Khloe story today.
It seemed obvious to me that Venus was not at fault, but one correction, please. The woman is 68. That is not elderly. A few more decades under your belt and you’ll recognize that.😊
My mom is 62 and I always tease her when the newspaper describes someone her age as “elderly.” I do think there are some elderly 68-year-olds, but many elders, such as my mom, have as much energy and do as much as people half their age!
Yeah, really. I’m 73 and have three sisters-68, 66, and 64. Not a one of us is approaching elderly. When I was in H.S. I thought 30 was elderly. So naive.😊
You’re 70-freaking-three? I thought you were in your late 30’s, early forties. The amazing Jerusha.
I was arguing this sometime ago when a lot of CBErs were on here crucifying Venus.
The green light does give you the right of way but not to proceed recklessly , many a time I had had the green and have had to yield to someone in the intersection, there are people who gun thier car from several feet away when they approach an intersection on green and that is not safe.
Furthermore it was proven that Venus entered the intersection legally on green and was delayed by another car making a unturn, had there not been a priivate security camera that captured this the outcome would have been so different
I have a 69 year old mother and I would never call her elderly at this stage. Lol she still goes out and gets work done and is healthy, thank the maker. That 68 year old woman knows what she’s doing and it’s disgusting.
Also I do agree that Venus former boyfriend is very attractive.
This is why I have a dash cam in my car. You can get one for $100.
Good. I’m glad. I’m sure the widow and her lawyers are still going to try and shake her down though.
Good, I hop this makes national news so everyone who read she was basically a murderer will know the truth. She did nothing wrong and it was falsely reported because it made “dramatic” celeb news.
Wow!! I never thought having security cameras everywhere was such a good thing, but thank goodness there was one there. In my area, an assistant prosecutor just resigned because security cameras showed he was lying about being assaulted in a hallway. Geez.
Good! They went after her because she’s rich, not because she was at fault. I know how much it hurts to lose someone that way, and you want to make someone pay, but you just can’t do that when it was your own damn fault in the first place.
I’m very happy for Venus. Hopefully it will shut down all of the meanness she received.
Don’t hold your breath.
I hope these findings will somehow help Venus with the civil case.