BENNINGTON, Vt. -- A Vermont man pleaded guilty Friday 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 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 has taken responsibility for the accident.
In the hearing 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 theater 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, said the family did not want to press charges or have Koss go to prison.
Koss originally pleaded innocent to a felony charge of gross negligent operation with death resulting. If he had been convicted of that charge, he could have been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
Richard Treat Williams' nearly 50-year career included starring roles in the TV series "Everwood" and the movie "Hair." He appeared in more than 120 TV and film roles, including the movies "The Eagle Has Landed," "Prince of the City" and "Once Upon a Time in America."