WIMBLEDON, England — A tearful Venus Williams broke down and left her news conference after a first-round victory at Wimbledon on Monday when asked about the fatal automobile accident she was involved in last month.

Williams was driving through an intersection in her Toyota S.U.V. in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., during the afternoon of June 9, when she collided with a car being driven by Linda Barson, according to a police report. Barson’s husband, Jerome, 78, was a passenger in the car, and he died on June 22 from injuries he sustained in the crash.

A daughter of the victim has since filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Williams. On Monday, a Wimbledon official, sitting next to Williams to facilitate the news conference, said Williams would be unable to answer questions about the accident.

But before that, Williams was asked if she would like to say anything about the accident.

“There are really no words to describe, like, how devastating and — yeah, I’m completely speechless,” she said. “It’s just — yeah, I mean, I’m just…”