Rattling eyewitness says Treat Williams was conscious and spoke to paramedics after the accident

Actor Treat Williams was conscious and alert after being thrown from his motorcycle, answering questions from paramedics while sprawled on the sidewalk, DailyMail.com can reveal.

“He was totally alert and answering questions,” said Matt Rapphahn, the owner of Long Trail Auto on Route 30, adjacent to the crash site.

Matt, 29, was standing outside his shop when the crash happened right in front of him.

Ryan Koss, who features DailyMail.com for the first time, was driving his Honda Element SUV on Route 30 and turning into the auto shop parking lot when he collided with the motorcycle.

“I saw Treat flying through the air,” Matt said.

Williams, wearing a helmet, was left sprawled on the pavement a few feet from his motorcycle.

“The tire was still spinning,” he added.

The Golden Globe-nominated actor, 71, was rushed to hospital with critical injuries before being pronounced dead in Vermont on Monday.

Reports released by the Vermont State Police revealed that Williams didn’t stand a chance as the Honda crossed the northbound lane of the V-30 in its $3,500 engine.

Koss, 35, attempted to turn left onto Morse Hill Road into a car park and stopped as he indicated at around 4:53 p.m.

He was “checked at the scene by medical personnel for minor injuries,” but was not taken to a hospital or detained by officers.

Koss was not drunk, police say, as they investigate who was responsible for the fatal incident.

Williams and Koss probably knew each other, because Koss works in the theater where Williams performed American Buffalo in 2017.

The police report states that ‘Williams was unable to avoid a collision and was thrown from his motorcycle’.

Data collected by the Vermont Agency of Transportation revealed that there have been five incidents on that stretch of road in 12 years, three of them resulting in injuries, but only Williams was pronounced dead.

Koss’ car had extensive front passenger side damage, while Williams’ 1986 Honda VT700c motorcycle had ‘front damage’.

Store owner Matt pointed out that Koss had an appointment to take his SUV to his store to get a state inspection sticker, and that Koss’s husband had driven into the lot in another car to pick him up.

Williams – who was wearing a helmet – “suffered serious injuries” and was taken by helicopter to Albany Medical Center in New York, where he was pronounced dead.

Immediately after the crash, a crowd gathered to offer assistance, including a nurse who lives in a house next door. Matt directed traffic until emergency services arrived.

“He was all asleep and they were asking him basic questions like ‘do you know where you are’ and ‘what’s your wife’s name, stuff like that,’” Matt recalled. And he responded. It seemed like he was awake all the time because when they had to move him you could clearly see he was in a lot of pain. They loaded him into the ambulance and drove off.’

“Honestly, I was hopeful that he would make it,” said Matt.

He said Williams was a regular customer – a classic car and motorcycle enthusiast who would bring his vehicles in for repairs and restoration work.

“He stopped by the shop just a few weeks ago and made some arrangements for his vehicles,” Matt said. “He pulled up here in his old Apache pickup truck, a blue ’57 Chevy. We talked about actors going on strike right now, and he seemed a little grumpy about it. He wanted to get back into acting.’

“We also talked about airplanes because he was an airplane enthusiast,” he added.

“I ran into him all the time in town,” he said. “He would tell some stories. He had such a good laugh. He was a great guy, super nice. This was his home. This was his community.’

He said Williams was also exceptionally generous, once writing a check to fix the house of one of Matt’s mechanic friends after a fire.

“People here have been using that old cliché all day – that for someone famous in Hollywood, he was totally chill,” he said.

Williams, a longtime resident of Manchester, Vermont, was also friends with actor Alec Baldwin and, according to people in the community, was instrumental in convincing Baldwin to move to the area.

Last year, Baldwin bought an old farmhouse in Arlington, just 20 minutes from Williams’ home.

The actor, best known for his roles in Everwood and Hair, was enjoying his weekend mowing the lawn at his million-dollar Vermont home just hours before the tragedy.

He was married to actress Pam Van Sant, and together they had two children, Gille and Ellie – and often shared pictures of his idyllic country life with his fans on social media.

Daughter Ellie posted a photo of her parents on her Instagram with the message, “This is a pain I’ve never felt. I’m completely devastated.’

Williams’ family said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that we report that our beloved Treat Williams passed away this evening in Dorset, Vermont following a fatal motorcycle accident.

“As you can imagine, we are shocked and deeply saddened at this time. 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 this.

“It’s all so shocking at the moment, but please know that Treat was well loved and respected by his family and everyone who knew him.

“We are devastated and ask that you respect our privacy as you process our grief. To all his fans, please know that Treat appreciated you all and please continue to hold him in your hearts and prayers.”