The truck driver that caused the deadly New Jersey Turnpike crash on Saturday that killed one person and injured three other people, including comedian Tracy Morgan pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.
Kevin Roper, who drives for Wal-Mart, faces assault by auto and death by auto after smashing into the limo with Morgan and several others while trying to avoid other traffic, reports The Washington Post.
The first charge comes with a maximum 18-month prison sentence, while death by auto comes with a five-to-10-year prison sentence, if he is convicted.
It is believed that the 35-year-old truck driver might not have slept in over 24 hours before getting behind the accident. Wal-Mart has claimed that they believe Roper was in compliance with federal safety regulations.
Morgan's friend, James McNair, was killed in the accident, while Ardie Fuqua Jr. and Jeffrey Millea remain in critical condition. The former Saturday Night Live star suffered several broken ribs, a broken nose and broken femur as a result of the accident.
Following the accident, Morgan and others were taken to the Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, and Alicia Warden, the comedian's estranged mother, claimed she was not able to initially visit her son after the accident.
She says that security and Megan Wallover, Morgan's fiancee, had her turned away. Warden, who had not seen her son in 11 years, believes that Wallover has a problem with her.
image courtesy of Dara Kushner/INFevents.com