The driver of a tractor-trailer that struck a the luxury van carrying Tracy Morgan and his entourage early Saturday, killing one person and leaving actor in critical condition, has been charged in the accident, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Kevin Roper, 35, who was driving a Wal-Mart truck, was charged with one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office said Saturday, the Tribune reports. Roper was expected to surrender to authorities and bail was set at $50,000, the site says.
Comedian James McNair, also known as Jimmy Mack, was killed in the crash early Saturday on the New Jersey Turnpike, the Tribune says. McNair, 63, lived in Peekskill, N.Y.
Morgan, known for his roles on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, was listed in critical condition in an intensive care unit at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Center in New Brunswick, N.J., the Tribune reports.
ABC News reports that Morgan has a broken leg, a broken femur, a broken nose and several broken ribs, among other injuries, according to his representative Lewis Kay.
"He had surgery earlier today on his leg," Kay said, according to ABC. "We expect him to remain in the hospital for several weeks. His family is tremendously overwhelmed and appreciative of the outpouring of love and support from his fans."
Tyrone Gale, the limo bus driver, said he could hear Morgan screaming after the crash.
"I climbed around and heard Tracy screaming for help," Gale told ABC. "I climbed up on the body of the limo bus … but I couldn't reach them."
Three others were hospitalized after the crash that occurred about 1 a.m. Saturday when a tractor-trailer plowed into the back of the limo bus near Cranbury Township, New Jersey State Police spokesman Gregory Williams said, citing a preliminary investigation, according to the site.
After the collision, involving another tractor-trailer, a sport utility vehicle and two other cars, the limo bus was on its side, the Tribune reports. Morgan was returning to New York after a performance in Dover, Del.
Wal-Mart CEO Bill Simon issued a statement Saturday, saying that he was praying for the family and friends of everyone involved in the crash.
“We are working quickly to understand what happened and are cooperating fully with law enforcement to aid their investigation,” Simon said. “The facts are continuing to unfold. If it's determined that our truck caused the accident, Walmart will take full responsibility.”
Read more at the Chicago Tribune.