Driver charged in crash that killed actor

The man charged with killing actor Treat Williams in a car crash earlier this year pleaded not guilty Monday.

Ryan Koss, 35, faces a single count of “gross negligent operation with death resulting” in connection with the June 12 crash in Dorset, Vt. He could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Police said Koss, driving a Honda Element, pulled out of a parking lot to turn left and blocked a road where Williams (photo below) was riding on his motorcycle. Williams was “unable to avoid a collision and was thrown from his motorcycle,” Vermont State Police said.

Williams was airlifted to Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y., where he was pronounced dead from severe trauma and blood loss. He was 71.

Koss had already publicly argued that the charges were not warranted because he and Williams were well acquainted.

“I have known Treat for years, both as a member of this tightknit community and fellow theater-maker,” said Koss, an actor and managing creative director of the Dorset Theatre Festival. “I considered him a friend.”

The next hearing in the case was scheduled for the spring, according to local NBC affiliate WPTZ.

As an actor, Williams was best known for his work in “Everwood,” where he played the lead character Dr. Andy Brown, and recently in “Blue Bloods” as Lenny Ross.

Williams first achieved significant fame in 1979 with the movie version of “Hair.” He went on to appear in more than 120 films including “Once Upon a Time in America,” “Flashpoint” and “127 Hours.”

He was nominated for three Golden Globes, one for “Hair,” one for “Prince of the City” in 1981, and one for the 1984 TV movie version of “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Williams is survived by his wife, Pam Van Sant, and their two children.