Sports

Venus Williams Fights Back Tears When Asked About Fatal Car Crash

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By Emily Surpless

The tennis player's involvement in a recent car accident seems to be taking a toll on her, as could be expected. 

After winning the opening match at Wimbledon on July 3, 2017, Venus Williams broke down when a reporter asked about the car crash, as evidenced by a Sports Illustrated video. Saying that she was "completely speechless," Williams, 37, appears to fight back tears.

According to Sports Illustrated, the press conference's moderator then stopped the conference, allowing Williams to leave the room for a moment, before the athlete returned to answer questions about her latest tennis match.

As Nicki Swift previously reported, Williams' SUV was T-boned on June 9, 2017, after she allegedly obstructed traffic. As a result of the car crash, the other driver, Linda Barson, suffered multiple broken bones. Barson's 78-year-old husband, Jerome Barson, was a passenger in the car at the time of the accident and suffered severe head trauma. He later succumbed to his injuries in the ICU, dying two weeks after the accident.

Williams, who's being sued for wrongful death, spoke out about the incident on June 30. "I am devasted [sic] and heartbroken by this accident. My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Jerome Barson and I continue to keep them in my thoughts and prayers," she wrote in a post on Facebook.

Williams is scheduled to take on Qiang Wang at Wimbledon on July 5.

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