Vermont State Police provided an update Tuesday afternoon on the investigation into the collision Monday that resulted in the death of actor Treat Williams.
Just before 5 Monday afternoon state troopers were called to a car and motorcycle crash in the town of Dorset. The preliminary investigation indicates that a Honda Element driven by 35-year-old Ryan M. Koss of Pownal, Vermont, stopped, signaled and then turned into the path of a northbound Honda motorcycle operated by 71-year-old Treat Williams. Shaftsbury Barracks commander Lieutenant Steven Coote said Tuesday Williams was thrown from the motorcycle and suffered critical injuries.
“Troopers arrived. He was being treated by EMS and was life flighted to Albany Medical where unfortunately later on that evening he was pronounced deceased. Members of our crash reconstructions team, one was on scene last night at the initial call. They have returned again today and utilized tools and technology to gather more evidence and information about the crash to include a drone flight and some other technology utilized to calibrate speeds, etc. This is still an active investigation. We’re talking less than 24 hours into the investigation. So we are still working through a lot of things with our partners.”
State Police have not determined who is at fault in the crash and initial investigation shows no evidence of impairment.
“Some of it is still under investigation. What I can share is part of our standard operating procedure in any of these motor vehicle crashes is to check for impairment. We determined there wasn’t any evidence of impairment for Operator 1 (Ryan M. Koss). Operator 2 (Treat Williams) was transported by LifeNet and again we’re waiting on data coming back from the New York authorities.”
Williams lived in Manchester Center, Vermont and often performed at theatres across the region in addition to his television and film roles. In 2017, Williams spoke on WAMC’s Roundtable program about his love of the stage.
“Theatre is a love, right?” asks host Joe Donahue. “That is something that you like and you want to continue to do I assume?”
You know I’ve never stopped,” mulled Williams. “I think theatre gets put aside when you have two kids going through college!”
Right,” agrees Donahue.
“It’s not,” laughs Williams, “It’s not a high paying occupation. So I have ...”
“Gee you know that’s one of the big myths,” Donahue agrees. “I think people think cash money on the table when you’re out!”
“I’m lucky to get a sandwich at the general store much less cash money!” Williams chuckles. “I mean you can make a living on Broadway in a large Broadway show. But the kind of theatre that I like doing usually is not, you know, it’s not Broadway. It’s stuff that I’m very fond of and would do for free. So most of us will do the movies and television and be very grateful for it. But being out there with an audience with a good piece of material is always the highest honor for me."
Regional arts organizations have been expressing condolences and grief in the wake of Williams’ death. He supported the Great Barrington Public Theater, which noted he had appeared last Friday at a pre-season benefit. He was also a trustee of the Ulysses S. Grant Cottage State Historic Site and was working with the staff to produce a one-man show on Grant.
