The man involved in Treat Williams’ fatal motorcycle crash said he is “devastated” over the actor’s death.
After authorities charged Ryan M. Koss with “grossly negligent” driving resulting in the actor’s death, he said via his attorney, Ian Carleton of Sheehey Furlong & Behm, that he is “confident the facts will show [he] obeyed all relevant traffic laws, and the State’s charges are unwarranted.”
However, he added in his statement per Us Weekly, “I am devastated by Mr. Williams’s tragic passing. I have known Treat for years, both as a member of this tight-knit community and fellow theater maker. I considered him a friend. I know his family feels his sudden loss even more deeply than I do, and I offer my sincerest condolences to them.”
On June 12, the “Everwood” actor was involved in a fatal motorcycle crash in Vermont.
An eyewitness detailed that Treat went “flying through the air” before crashing. Despite the horrific accident, he was still alert and answering questions when paramedics arrived.
He was then airlifted to Albany Medical Center in New York, where he was pronounced dead at the age of 71.
The actor’s rep confirmed the news of his death immediately after, telling People, “He was killed this afternoon. He was making a left or a right [and] a car cut him off. I’m just devastated. He was the nicest guy. He was so talented.”
“He was an actor’s actor. Filmmakers loved him. He’s been the heart of Hollywood since the late 1970s,” Barry McPherson added. “He was really proud of his performance this year. He’s been so happy with the work that I got him. He’s had a balanced career.”
Shortly after, the Vermont police released a statement with additional details.
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Authorities said that “a southbound 2008 Honda Element […] attempted to turn left into a parking lot.”
The initial investigation claimed that the vehicle “stopped, signaled a left turn and then turned into the path of a northbound 1986 Honda VT700c motorcycle operated by Williams.”
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Police said Williams “was unable to avoid a collision and was thrown from his motorcycle” and “suffered critical injuries.”
Last week, it was then revealed that an autopsy confirmed the actor died from “severe trauma and blood loss,” per a news release shared by the Vermont State Police.
According to police, they met with Koss “at the Shaftsbury Barracks, where he was processed on the charge and released.”
Koss is due to appear for arraignment on Sept. 25 in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Bennington.
Williams is survived by his wife, Pam Van Sant, whom he married in 1988, and their two children, Gill and Elinor.
