Tracy Morgan crash case update: the Wal-Mart driver, who caused the tragic accident early Saturday on the New Jersey Turnpike in Cranbury, which led to the death of 1 and injury of 4 including actor-comedian Tracy Morgan, has pleaded guilty today to the charges filed against him, USA Today has learned.
Tracy Morgan and 3 others are currently recuperating from the wounds they obtained out of a tragic accident last Saturday morning while one individual has been pronounced dead after the incident. The accident that caused a stir on the New Jersey Turnpike was reportedly caused by a Wal-Mart truck driver, who was later on identified as 35-year-old Kevin Roper.
This afternoon, a five-minute hearing before Superior Court Judge Bradley Ferencz in New Brunswick over the charges pressed against the 35-year-old driver from Jonesboro, Ga., but the accused has maintained that he is "not guilty."
According to court documents, Roper stood in the courtroom and through his attorney, David Glassman, he voiced out a plea that he is not guilty of one count of vehicular homicide and four counts of assault by auto, pressed against him after the controversial incident that was highly publicized since actor-comedian Tracy Morgan got involved in it.
Authorities claim that Roper had not slept for more than 24 hours when he got behind the wheel of his Wal-Mart tractor-trailer, and Ferencz noted that Roper has never stained his driving record in the past
After the hearing, neither Roper nor Glassman spoke about the court happenings and the former remains free on $50,000 bail.
Earlier reports revealed that "Saturday Night Live" alum Tracy Morgan were on their way to the way to their hotel after a performance at Dover Downs Casino in Delaware when the tragic crash happened.
The "30 Rock" star reportedly suffered a "broken leg, broken nose and several broken ribs" in the crash, which occurred at 1 a.m. Saturday. Meanwhile, Morgan's close friend, 62-year-old Jimmy McNair, more commonly known as Jimmy Mack, was declared dead after the accident.
On the other hand, 43-year-old Ardie Fuqua, a comic from New Jersey, and 26-year-old Jeffrey Millea, Morgan's assistant, were listed on critical condition earlier but are now in stable condition alongside Tracy Morgan at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
"We expect him to remain in the hospital for several weeks," Morgan's publicist said of his current condition. "His family is tremendously overwhelmed and appreciative of the outpouring of love and support from his fans."
As for 37-year-old Harris Stanton, who also got involved in the car crash, he was treated for minor injuries and was quickly released afterward.
Initial reports on the car crash involving Tracy Morgan revealed that Roper may have failed to see slow-moving traffic ahead his tractor-trailer as he passed through Cranbury. Because of this his truck slammed into Morgan's van's rear, leading to a chain reaction involving four other vehicles and another rig.
The investigation on the accident is still ongoing with the New Jersey State Police and the National Transportation Safety Board on the lead.
