topic Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement in Community Chat

Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

Marp — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 03:54:15 GMT

After reviewing footage from a nearby security camera, police in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., have rescinded their original statement that Venus Williams was at fault for a June 9 car crash that led to the death of the passenger in the other vehicle.

A police department statement says investigators had located new video evidence, "surveillance footage ... obtained from a community south of the intersection which recorded the traffic crash."

The Associated Press describes what they found:

"Williams legally entered an intersection but was cut off by another car, setting off a chain of events that seconds later resulted in a fatal crash with a third car, police say video released Friday shows.

"The video, taken by a security camera, shows Williams heading north as she stops her 2010 Toyota Sequoia SUV at a stoplight behind a white car as she exits her Palm Beach Gardens neighborhood shortly after 1 p.m. June 9.

"When the light turns green, the white car turns left onto a six-lane, heavily traveled boulevard, but Williams heads straight. A dark colored sedan turns left in front of her, causing her to stop.

"She then continues straight into the far, westbound lanes, where her SUV is struck in the passenger's side by a 2016 Hyundai sedan driven by Linda Barson."

More at: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/07/536069076/police-take-second-look-at-venus-williams-car-accident-with-new-footage?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

JaneMarple — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 03:57:38 GMT

Thanks @Marp for the clarifications about this accident.

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

Noel7 — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 04:05:18 GMT

I am so glad to read this. I had read descriptions of the accident and did not see how they could have blamed Venus, preposterous.

So glad conclusive evidence was found.

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

butterfly123 — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 04:12:08 GMT

@Marp

I read the article and noticed this sentence

Since the release of the footage on Friday, Palm Beach Gardens police spokesman Maj. Paul Rogers has said blame has not yet been determined.

Am I reading this incorrectly or have the police made a final decision?

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

Katcat1 — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 04:22:20 GMT

That's what I hate about the news media. They had Venus responsible and naturally everyone thinks the worse of the situation and her. You are innocent until proven guilty even OUTSIDE of court! Thank God for that camera. Plus Venus was extremely upset when being questioned about it and all of it could have been avoided.

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

Marp — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 04:35:21 GMT

@butterfly123 wrote:
@Marp
I read the article and noticed this sentence

Since the release of the footage on Friday, Palm Beach Gardens police spokesman Maj. Paul Rogers has said blame has not yet been determined.

Am I reading this incorrectly or have the police made a final decision?

@butterfly123, I don't think you are reading it incorrectly. Police have both vehicles impounded and my understanding is that representatives of all parties involved will get together to download information from the "black boxes" from both vehicles.

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

sunshine45 — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 04:37:11 GMT

@butterfly123 wrote:
@Marp
I read the article and noticed this sentence

Since the release of the footage on Friday, Palm Beach Gardens police spokesman Maj. Paul Rogers has said blame has not yet been determined.

Am I reading this incorrectly or have the police made a final decision?

@butterfly123

i dont think it is over......and it looks like at this point the family intends to sue.

The Barson family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Williams, who was not injured in the accident, claiming that Jerome Barson’s death was caused “as a result of the negligence of Williams,” the Palm Beach Post reported last week.

Michael Steinger, the Barson family’s attorney, said in a statement to the AP, that Friday’s video still shows that Williams caused the accident and violated “the Barsons’ right of way.”

“There is nothing that disputes Ms. Williams was in the intersection on a red light, and the witnesses clearly confirm the Barsons had a green light and lawfully entered the intersection,” Steinger said.

Police said on Friday that the crash is still under investigation and that officers are still working to identify the driver of the Altima, according to the Palm Beach Post.

via huffington post

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

Marp — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 04:37:52 GMT

@Katcat1 wrote:
That's what I hate about the news media. They had Venus responsible and naturally everyone thinks the worse of the situation and her. You are innocent until proven guilty even OUTSIDE of court! Thank God for that camera. Plus Venus was extremely upset when being questioned about it and all of it could have been avoided.

You are placing blame where it does not belong. The news media reported what the Palm Beach Gardens police initially said. To wit: "Police in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., said Thursday that Venus Williams was at fault in a June 9 car crash that led to the death of the passenger in another vehicle." ( http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/30/534965373/florida-police-blame-tennis-star-venus-williams-for-fatal-car-accident )

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

butterfly123 — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 04:41:39 GMT

@Marp

Thank you.

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

JaneMarple — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 04:42:44 GMT

@Katcat1 wrote:
That's what I hate about the news media. They had Venus responsible and naturally everyone thinks the worse of the situation and her. You are innocent until proven guilty even OUTSIDE of court! Thank God for that camera. Plus Venus was extremely upset when being questioned about it and all of it could have been avoided.

Don't blame the news media @Katcat1 but the police who issued the statement to the media. The police rushed the statement before looking into all the evidence.

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

truffle — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 05:07:49 GMT

When you enter an intersection on a green light and circumstances leave you in the middle of it with the light now red, any sane person coming in from the side would have to have seen your predicament. Any sane person would have slowed down and allowed Venus to continue through the intersection instead of hitting her. There are many intersections throughout the country that are unusually large taking a long time to get thru with another intersection up ahead from that one that approaches much too soon and when traffic is bottlenecked there, it impacts the larger intersection. I have been stuck a couple times and never enter on an old green light knowing I will get stuck in the middle yet there are times when even on a new green light odd circumstances occur. I've never been struck but my car prevented cross traffic from proceeding until that other light changed. All who live in the area know this happens and no one charges into you.

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

Lindsays Grandma — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 10:23:20 GMT

I am sure Ms. Williams is extremely relieved and it is sad that the police rushed to blame her for the death of an individual involved in the crash. It would be interesting to know the reaction of the family who was suing her for a wrongful death. Large sums of money may have danced in their heads and the latest news may have put a damper on their dreams. Just a thought, hopefully they took the news well.

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

Plaid Pants2 — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 12:40:01 GMT

This is why I have a dashcam in my car.

It would be one more piece of evidence to make a final determination as to what exactly happened, and who is at fault.

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

Happiness Is Inside JOB — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 12:52:56 GMT

I don't know if this will really affect the law suit, I doubt the family will drop their case. I have learned several times in many of these lawsuits it is not about who is "right" or "wrong" but how to get a settlement. Sometimes people get settlement cause it is cheaper to give the person 20,000 then drag it out and pay their lawyers 300.00 per hour.

Also, I am thankful the poster provided an update as I did not hear this on the news and many times when the person is cleared the coverage is never as extensive as when the original story was covered.

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

occasionalrain — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 13:02:06 GMT

Generally, the one doing the hitting is at fault. Rear end crashes are caused by tailgating or inattention. This accident was either speeding or a failure of attention. How could she not see a car in the intersection? It didn't just appear out of nowhere.

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

Lucky Charm — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 13:28:12 GMT

@truffle wrote:
When you enter an intersection on a green light and circumstances leave you in the middle of it with the light now red, any sane person coming in from the side would have to have seen your predicament. Any sane person would have slowed down and allowed Venus to continue through the intersection instead of hitting her. There are many intersections throughout the country that are unusually large taking a long time to get thru with another intersection up ahead from that one that approaches much too soon and when traffic is bottlenecked there, it impacts the larger intersection. I have been stuck a couple times and never enter on an old green light knowing I will get stuck in the middle yet there are times when even on a new green light odd circumstances occur. I've never been struck but my car prevented cross traffic from proceeding until that other light changed. All who live in the area know this happens and no one charges into you.

I don't think the car that struck Williams' car saw her. There were other cars stopped in the intersection (2?) that may've been blocking the view. The car that struck Williams' wasn't doing anything illegal. They had the right of way--a green light.

But the predicament that Williams was in, I'm wondering if that other vehicle she had to stop for, would have some sort of responsibility of the unfortunate event.

I'm surprised Williams wasn't badly hurt or worse because it looks like she really got hit hard.

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

game-on — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 15:59:28 GMT

I think this is a case of a family who saw that they could sue a celebrity and get some big bucks....

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

JaneMarple — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 16:23:22 GMT

@occasionalrain wrote:
Generally, the one doing the hitting is at fault. Rear end crashes are caused by tailgating or inattention. This accident was either speeding or a failure of attention. How could she not see a car in the intersection? It didn't just appear out of nowhere.

@occasionalrain Did you bother reading the report that was provided by the OP?

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

depglass — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 17:17:45 GMT

I haven't seen one mention of STATE LAW. It depends what the Florida statutes say regarding this. I agree with the celebrity-money opinion. Had this been Mrs Average Housewife with no substantial assets, this wouldn't be going on.

Re: Police Rescind Venus Williams At Fault Statement

YorkieonmyPillow — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 17:19:58 GMT

That video is scary to watch - I hate heavy traffic. Her interview was very sad, I feel sorry for her...