Venus Williams did not break the law in fatal car crash, police say
Venus Williams got the benefit of the doubt today, thanks to some new video.
No, this had nothing to do with a tennis match, but a deadly car crash last month.
In the video, you can see Williams' 2010 Toyota Sequoia entering the intersection, under a green light. In the upper part of the video, she pauses briefly in the middle of the intersection, before continuing.
That's when her car was struck by Hyundai driven by Linda Barson, whose 78-year-old husband, Jerome, later died of his injuries. Before they saw the new evidence, police said Williams was "at fault for violating the right of way."
But in light of the footage, the police department released a statement exonerating Williams, saying, "the vehicle driven by Venus Williams lawfully entered the intersection on a circular green traffic signal, and attempted to travel north through the intersection to Ballenisles Drive."
The police said a car entered the intersection in front of Williams and made a left turn, causing her to stop advancing through the intersection to avoid a collision. The crash occurred when Williams started to legally proceed.
Earlier this week, a visibly distraught Williams broke down when asked about it during a Wimbledon press conference.
"There are really no words to describe how devastating and -- I'm completely speechless," she said before bursting into tears.
The Barson family filed a wrongful death suit against the seven-time Grand Slam winner. It's unclear if this new evidence will change their minds.
