Family of Venus Williams deadly car accident victim demands phone records

The family of a man who died after his car collided with Venus Williams’s SUV in a Florida intersection is asking for phone records they believe may help determine the cause of the fatal auto accident.

TMZ reports that an attorney for Jerome Barson’s estate has requested bills for all of the tennis star’s smartphones and devices for the month of the accident, to determine whether or not Williams was using a device at the time of the fatal crash.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Barson, 78, died in a hospital last month, two weeks after a June 9 car crash in which Barson’s vehicle T-boned Williams’s SUV in Palm Beach Gardens. Williams had reportedly gotten stuck in an intersection when traffic ahead of her slowed down.

Barson’s family filed a wrongful death suit last month. The initial police report said that Williams “at fault for violating the right of way,” but after the release of surveillance video from the scene police said that Williams was driving “lawfully.”

Investigators also said that drugs or alcohol did not contribute to the accident, and that Williams was not distracted by her phone. Still, it appears that the family is not convinced.  Their attorney is also asking for information on any medications Williams took in the 72 hours leading up to the accident.

 

Feature photo: Associated Press