Photos: Venus Williams makes first public comments on fatal car crash that killed Jerome Barson

Tennis star Venus Williams has offered her first public comments on a fatal car crash she was involved in earlier this month.

Williams issued a statement on Facebook late Friday saying she was “devastated and heartbroken” over the June 9 collision that killed 78-year-old Jerome Barson. Williams, who was not injured in the crash, was accused of running a red light by witnesses, though police say she has not been cited or charged in the incident. Barson had initially survived but died later of his injuries. “My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Jerome Barson and I continue to keep them in my thoughts and prayers,” Williams wrote Friday. Her comments came as Barson’s family announced it would file a wrongful death suit over the crash in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.