Early Saturday morning, a Walmart truck driver smashed into the back of comedian Tracy Morgan’s car on the New Jersey Turnpike. The crashed killed fellow comedian James “Jimmy Mack” McNair, put Morgan in critical condition, and injured several others.
35-year-old Kevin Roper, a Jonesboro, Georgia resident, was named as the man behind the wheel of the truck. He had been awake for over 24 hours prior to the crash. The charges included death by auto and four counts of assault by auto according to Yahoo. He is currently free after posting $50,000 bail.
Morgan, the 45-year-old actor, was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He is best known for his roles on Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, and Cop Out.
At the time of the crash, Morgan was returning from a standup performance at the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. A total of six vehicles were part of the crash but nobody from the other cars were injured.
Morgan suffered multiple injuries –- a broken nose, broken ribs, a broken leg, and a broken femur. He underwent surgery on his leg on Sunday according to CNN. "We expect him to remain in the hospital for several weeks," said Lewis Kay, Morgan’s publicist.
If the truck is determined to be the primary cause of the accident, Walmart President Bill Simon said the company would take full responsibility for the accident.
McNair was a very close friend of Morgan. Tracy’s ex-wife, Sabrina Morgan said, “He was one of the first comedians that took Tracy under his wing.”