Truck Driver in Tracy Morgan Crash Charged with First-Degree Manslaughter

By: Caryn Robbins Dec. 23, 2015

USA Today reports that Kevin Roper, the driver of the Wal-Mart truck which crashed into a limo carrying comedian Tracy Morgan, was charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree vehicular homicide and third-degree aggravated assault by a New Jersey grand jury today.

The accident, which seriously injured Morgan and killed a fellow passenger in the limo, occurred in June of 2014 on the New Jersey Turnpike.

An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that Roper had been awake for 28 straight hours at the time of the accident, and failed to slow down immediately before. Furthermore, the NTSB ruled that the collision could have been avoided if Roper had obeyed the 45 mph speed limit and started braking sooner.

Morgan recently returned to his entertainment career after a year's absence. This fall he hosted an episode of NBC's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and paid tribute to Eddie Murphy at the KENNEDY Center. It was recently announced that he will kick off a national comedy tour titled "Tracy Morgan: Picking Up the Pieces" on Feb. 5.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos