Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan and two members of his entourage were in critical condition Sunday, a day after a tractor-trailer rammed into his chauffeured limousine bus, setting off a deadly chain-reaction pileup.
The former “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock” cast member was returning from a standup show in Delaware early Saturday with six others when the limo bus overturned on the New Jersey Turnpike near Cranberry Township, killing Morgan’s mentor and fellow comedian James “Jimmy Mack” McNair. The tractor-trailer driver was charged with death by auto and four counts of assault by auto.
Jeffrey Millea, of Shelton, Connecticut, and comedian Ardie Fuqua Jr. were listed in critical condition along with Morgan at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, hospital spokeswoman Zenaida Mendez said Sunday. Another comedian, Harris Stanton, was treated and released from the hospital Saturday.
The truck driver, 35-year-old Kevin Roper, of Jonesboro, Georgia, apparently failed to slow for traffic ahead and swerved at the last minute to avoid a crash, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s office said. Instead, the big rig smashed into the back of the Mercedes limo bus, prompting a chain-reaction crash with a second tractor-trailer, an SUV and two cars, authorities said. No one in the other vehicles was injured.
Roper, accompanied by his attorney, turned himself in to state police on Saturday night. He was processed and turned over to Middlesex County officials, state police Sgt. 1st Class Greg Williams said Sunday.
Wal-Mart President Bill Simon said in a statement that one of the company’s trucks was involved and that the company “will take full responsibility” if authorities determine its truck caused the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was working with state police to look at any issues in the crash related to commercial trucking and limousine safety.
Morgan’s limo was owned by Atlantic Transportation Services, which said it had one employee behind the wheel and a second in the front passenger seat. Neither was injured.
“Although the investigation is still pending, we concur with the preliminary reports that the accident was caused by another vehicle traveling behind the Atlantic limo bus,” the Rehoboth Beach, Delaware-based company said.
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