NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — A truck driver accused of triggering a highway crash that injured Tracy Morgan and killed another comedian hadn’t slept in more than 24 hours before the accident, authorities said Monday as Morgan recovered in a hospital.
Wal-Mart trucker Kevin Roper is expected to make an initial appearance in state court Wednesday. It was unclear if Roper, of Jonesboro, Georgia, had retained an attorney. He remained free after posting $50,000 bond.
Authorities said Roper apparently failed to slow for traffic ahead early Saturday in Cranbury Township and then swerved to avoid a crash. Instead, they said, his big rig smashed into the back of Morgan’s chauffeured limo bus, killing comedian James “Jimmy Mack” McNair and injuring Morgan and three other people.
Morgan, a former “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock” cast member, was in critical but stable condition Monday. His spokesman, Lewis Kay, said he faces an “arduous” recovery after surgery on his broken leg. Morgan also suffered a broken nose and several broken ribs and is expected to remain hospitalized for weeks, Kay said.
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