MONTPELIER, VERMONT: Treat Williams, who died in a motorcycle accident on Monday, June 12, had several witnesses to the tragic crash. One of the shocked bystanders shared, "He was totally alert, answering questions,'' claimed Matt Rapphahn, the owner of Long Trail Auto on Route 30. Apparently, the driver of a Honda Element SUV, Ryan Koss, turned into the auto shop parking lot where he collided with the motorcycle. "I saw Treat go flying through the air,'' said Matt before adding "He was totally laid out, and they were asking him basic questions, like 'Do you know where you are,' and 'What's your wife's name,' that kind of stuff. And he was responsive. He seemed like he was awake the whole time because, obviously, when they had to move him, you could see he was in a great deal of pain. They loaded him up into the ambulance and drove off. Honestly, I was pretty hopeful that he was going to pull through."
Matt further revealed that other witnesses immediately rushed to help the severely injured actor until paramedics arrived at the spot.
'Dearly and deeply loved and respected'
The family also released a statement on his death, "It is with great sadness that we report that our beloved Treat Williams has passed away tonight in Dorset, Vermont after a fatal motorcycle accident. As you can imagine, we are shocked and greatly bereaved at this time." It continued, "Treat was full of love for his family, for his life, and for his craft, and was truly at the top of his game in all of it. It is all so shocking right now, but please know that Treat was dearly and deeply loved and respected by his family and everyone who knew him." "We are beyond devastated and ask that you respect our privacy as we deal with our grief. To all his fans, please know that Treat appreciated all of you and please continue to keep him in your hearts and prayers," it concluded, as per DailyMail.
'Driver involved was not drunk'
Vermont authorities said, “Williams was heading north on Route 30 when a 2008 Honda Element made a left turn into a business area and crossed into the path of the motorcycle he was driving.” Police Lieutenant Steven Coote added, “A collision resulted in Williams being thrown from the motorcycle. He was treated at the scene by paramedics and later flown to Albany Medical Center in New York, where he was later pronounced dead.” They “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,” said Coote. The driver involved was not drunk, and Williams was wearing a helmet too during the fatal crash, confirmed the police.
Hours before the accident, Williams shared a picture of his land with the words, “Mowing today. Wish I could bottle the scent.” Followed by a clip where he wrote, “What a real Vermonter does.”
The authorities appealed to any witnesses to the crash or those with information about the incident to call the Vermont State Police Shaftsbury Barracks at 802-442-5421 or leave an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
