Driver involved in Vermont crash that killed actor Treat Williams pleads guilty

AVermont man on Friday pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of negligent driving with death resulting in the June crash that killed actor Treat Williams.

Ryan Koss, 35, who knew Williams, was given a one-year deferred sentence and as part of his probation will have his driving license revoked for a year and must complete a community restorative justice program on the misdemeanor charge.

Koss was turning left into a parking lot in a Honda SUV on June 12 when he collided with Williams’ oncoming motorcycle in Dorset, police said. Williams, 71, of Manchester Center, who was wearing a helmet, suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

After the crash, Koss called Williams’ wife to tell her what happened, said Bennington County State’s Attorney Erica Marthage, who said Koss from the beginning had taken responsibility for the accident.

In the emotional hearing on Friday, Koss apologized and offered condolences to Williams’ family and fans. The managing creative director of the Dorset Theatre Festival in Vermont knew Williams for years as a member of the tight-knit community, as well as a fellow theatre member, and considered him a friend.

“I’m here to apologize and take responsibility for this tragic accident,” he told the court.

Williams’ son Gill, 32, wore his father’s jacket and spoke directly to Koss, whom he had met before the crash. The family did not want to press charges or have Koss go to prison, he said.