DORSET, VERMONT: American actor, writer and aviator Treat Williams died at the age of 71 after suffer internal injuries from a fatal motorcycle crash that occurred on Monday, June 12, at Route 30 in Dorset, Vermont. Just a few hours before the accident, the ‘Hair’ star shared a video on his Instagram account, which tragically ended up being his final post.
The clip, captioned “Hay day," showed a view of a rural town in Vermont and miles of beautiful greenery. The post also featured footage of a tractor going through a field. Williams also shared a separate photo of the farm with a caption that read, “There is no better smell than new mown hay.” Unfortunately, the actor died just hours after sharing glimpses of his serene countryside with fans.
‘We know you were enjoying your last day’
Williams' fans were quick to share their comments on the actor’s final post following his death. “Praying for your family. At the very least, we know you were enjoying your last day on this earth. Rest in peace,” one wrote. “5 hours ago you were sharing your beautiful home with us & now we have lost you. Sending love to your loved ones. Godspeed,” another added. “This is absolutely heartbreaking! I love you and your work,” one said.
“Treat, thank you for the many pictures you sent of your farm, dog and your family. I enjoyed every one and will miss not getting them. I will miss not seeing you in your many roles. My prayers are for your family. We all know how much you loved them. Rest In Peace, sir,” a fourth added. One penned, “My heart goes out to Treat’s family. I loved reading his posts about his every day life. You can tell that he loved his family very much,” while another wrote, “Rest in peace. I will miss seeing you on the screen, and miss seeing the posts of your lovely home and adventurous flights. Condolences to your beloved family.”
A fan commented, “I'm completely devastated and praying for you all. I've always had huge admiration and it's only grown from his generosity on Instagram. The most giving and beautiful human being. I'm deeply sorry for your loss.” Another said, “Devastating news, praying for the family. I enjoyed following his posts from beautiful Vermont. Such a talented actor and seemed full of life and love.”
‘2 hours and it's all different’
Williams also shared a video of Dorset on Twitter two hours before his death. The caption of the video read, “What a real Vermonter does.” Several fans also flocked to the actor’s comments section on Twitter to mourn his final post and his death. “2 hours and it's all different. You never know what day is the day. RIP,” one wrote.
“You never know what the hour will bring. Life is short guys, and what are we doing? Fighting! This country is so divisive. Why? For what? We need to do better. RIP Mr Williams,” added another. “I am truly shocked and saddened. He lived life to the fullest. Pilot. Actor. Farmer. And then his family. His Tweets were a delight to read .. every day. RIP. From Canada,” a third commented.
A fourth said, “Saddened by the news. I ‘liked’ this clip earlier in the day and was shocked to read of his loss shortly after. Blessings and prayers to his friends and family,” while another mentioned, “This tweet is eerily tragic, shockingly sad and incredibly unsettling. RIP.”
‘Every day I wake up so grateful’
Williams has always been vocal about his love for Vermont. “I’ve always had an enormous love for Vermont, both in winter and summer. There was something incredibly special about it to me, and the people here are incredibly honest, real, and good-humored,” he reportedly said in a 2022 interview, as per Deadline. “There’s also always something new to discover somewhere on a dirt road that you’ve never traveled on before. Every day I wake up so grateful to see the view that I see out of my window and to be living up here,” he added at the time.
Williams’ family also issued a statement in the wake of the actor’s 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 read. “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,” the statement continued.
“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.
