Tennis star Venus Williams settles lawsuit with family of 78-year-old man who died in fatal car crash

Tennis star Venus Williams has reached a settlement with the family of a 78-year-old man killed in a Florida car crash last year, court records show.

The case was closed on Friday and terms of the agreement between Williams and the estate of Jerome Barson, were not included in the documents.

Palm Beach Gardens police previously cleared both Williams and Barson’s wife, Linda, in the June 9 2017 crash which fatally injured Barson.

A police report said a third driver illegally cut off Williams as she tried to cross a busy six-lane road near her home, setting off a chain of events which ended with Linda Barson, 68, slamming into the passenger side of Williams’s SUV.

Jerome Barson died 13 days after the crash his wife suffered a broken arm and other injuries and Williams, 38, was not hurt.

Officer David Dowling, the lead investigator, said in his report that video from a nearby security camera shows Williams legally entered the intersection from a road near her gated neighbourhood on a green light.

As she started to cross, a dark-coloured car cut her off, forcing her to stop.

When the car cleared her path, Williams began moving forward in her 2010 Toyota Sequoia, but that put her in the path of the Barsons, who now had the green light.

The Barsons’ 2016 Hyundai Accent hit Williams’ SUV at 40 mph.

Mr Dowling said in his report, state law required Williams to exit the intersection and even though Linda Barson had the green light she was obligated to make sure the intersection was clear.

Williams has career on-court earnings of about £31 million, her own clothing line and endorsement deals with Ralph Lauren, Kraft foods, Tide detergent and Wilson sporting goods.