We all know that Venus Williams is deadly on the tennis court. But is she deadly off court, too? Specifically, did she recently kill someone with her car? Or will she win in court like she does on the court? Read and find out.
According to early news reports, just before Venus Williams was going to head off to Wimbledon (where she is now “killing it” on the court) from Florida (where she lives), Venus drove through an intersection where she was t-boned by another car, whose driver died from the impact. The other driver’s Estate promptly brought a claim against the acclaimed tennis goddess for wrongful death.
Things looked bad for Venus. Witnesses confirmed that, at the time of the crash, the traffic light was red for Venus and green for the other driver.
In tennis terms, the score was Estate 40, Venus luv.
But not so fast! A comeback is always possible in a court of law as on the tennis court.
Venus’ lawyers sought and got the surveillance video. Yes, these days most major intersections have surveillance cameras. Surveillance videos make the perfect chair umpire. In this case, it showed Venus passing through a green light. But then, while in the middle of the intersection, a vehicle turning left in front of her cut her off, blocking her way for several seconds. Meanwhile, her light turned red. Finally, when her way was clear, Venus proceeded forward. Then the vehicle coming from her left entered the intersection –on a green light – and t-boned Venus.
Now whose fault was it? At the time of the collision, Venus’ light was red. But both of them entered on green lights? Is the score now “deuce”? Or advantage to the Estate?
No, the advantage goes to Venus.
This happened in Florida, but I believe the rules of the road there – as anywhere – are the same as in New York. The New York rule reads like this: “Traffic facing a steady circular green signal may proceed straight through [an intersection] but shall yield the right of way to other traffic lawfully within the intersection . . . at such time such signal is exhibited”. NY Vehicle & Traffic Law 1111(a)(1).
Venus was “lawfully within the intersection” in that she entered on a green light. She did the right thing by waiting for the vehicle that cut her off to clear. She then proceeded forward. She did nothing wrong.
The other driver – who died in the crash – also had a green light, and normally that would give her the right to proceed through the intersection. But she was required to yield to Venus who was already “lawfully within the intersection”. She obviously did not. Her fault, not Venus’!
Game, set, match, Venus wins (as usual).
And that’s not just my conclusion. The video caused investigators to rescind their original conclusion that Williams was at fault.
So there you have it. Venus Williams is a winner both on court and in court. And she apparently makes very few mistakes on/in either court, or in her vehicle.
Keep safe!
Mike Bersani
Email me at: bersani@mbk-law.com I’d love to hear from you!
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