Treat Williams Cause Of Death Released, Driver Charged With 'Grossly Negligent Operation'

Nearly two months after “Everwood” actor Treat Williams tragically passed away in a motoring accident, the Vermont police have released the cause of death. There’s also news of the car driver being charged in the actor's death, details below.

On June 12, the tragic news of 71-year-old Treat Williams passing away in a motorcycling accident hit fans and followers with equal impact.

The crash happened on that very afternoon on Route 30 by Long Trail Auto near Dorset, Vermont. During the incident, a single car collided, turning left out of a parking lot, and turned into the path of the actor’s motorcycle. Williams was unable to avoid a collision and was thrown from his motorcycle, tragically sustaining critical injuries. He was airlifted to a hospital in Albany, New York, where he was pronounced dead. At the time, Williams, a motorcycling buff, was riding a classic Honda VT600c Shadow and also wearing a helmet. The driver was in a Honda car as well, and wearing a seatbelt as well.

Vermont State Police has issued a full statement about the case, which read, “The Medical Examiner’s Office in New York determined that Mr. Williams died of severe trauma and blood loss as a result of the crash.”

Williams' agent Barry McPherson shared the news of the star's death on June 12, saying, "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 also spoke about how Williams was excited about a new project, something he'd now never get to see.

After completing their review of the June 12 crash on Tuesday, the Bennington County State’s Attorney's office charged the driver, identified as Ryan M. Koss, 35, with "grossly negligent operation with death."

The information comes via a press release from the Vermont State Police, which also states that the police contacted Koss on Tuesday evening. The statement read, “he voluntarily met with troopers at the Shaftsbury Barracks, where he was processed on the charge and released.”

The statement also read that Koss is due to appear for arraignment on Sept. 25, 2023, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Bennington. His vehicle, a Honda Element has severe frontal damage although as per the report, the road condition on that day was described as “dry blacktop with no debris or defect.”

Meanwhile, Williams is survived by his wife, actress Pam Van Sant, and their two children, Gill and Ellie. Here's a little glimpse of him in his youth!

When Williams wasn’t acting or hanging around with his family on his farm, he loved to tinker around with classic and vintage vehicles. While the motorcycle he was riding on is a 1986 Honda, Williams also had a 1950s Chevy Apache truck and an early 1970s Oldsmobile.

Matt Bomer, who played Williams’ son in the series “White Collar” posted a lovely tribute, “This is a tough one, and I don’t like doing this on social media, but I want to share what an absolute treasure Treat Williams was- both as an actor and a person. I was so honored that he agreed to play my father on White Collar, and he jumped in and made every day on set a joy. He taught me in the most beautiful way- through patient example. He’s one of the few actors I’ve worked with who always checked in on me - even years after we worked together.”

Taylor Kinney, who co-starred with Williams in “Chicago Fire” said, “I’ll always relish our conversations and his uncanny ability to light up a room. We all send love, he will be missed.”

Several other of Williams' co-stars over the years also posted tributes on social media, talking about how special a person he was, and how much he would be missed. Veteran actor Tom Selleck also posted a tribute to Williams.