The American tennis player Venus Williams admitted to being “destroyed” emotionally by the mortal accident in which it was involved in Florida last June and that it cost the life to a man of 78 years.
“I’m devastated and heartbroken over this accident,” said the former world number one in a message posted last night on his Facebook account.
Williams sent his “most sincere condolences to family and friends” of Jerome Barson and said to have them in their “thoughts and prayers”.
The veteran tennis player published the message on the same day that the victim’s family filed a civil suit for “negligence” behind the wheel in a lawsuit seeking compensation for damages.
According to the lawsuit, both Barson and his wife, Linda, 68, suffered “severe injuries” after colliding with the sports SUV on June 9 in Palm Beach Gardens, about 80 miles (128 km) North of Miami.
Jerome remained in the Intensive Care Unit for two weeks, and died on June 22, while his wife survived.
The police report of the accident says that the oldest of the Williams sisters committed a trespass at a crossroads.
The former world number 1 was not injured in the accident, nor was she under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to the police report, so that the tennis player was released.
