Comedian Tracy Morgan remained in critical condition early Monday
following a weekend car wreck, but the actor's publicist said he's showing
signs of improvement.
"He has been more responsive, which is
an incredibly encouraging sign," publicist Lewis Kay said Sunday.
The wreck took place about 1 a.m. Saturday
when the limo van Morgan was in was hit by a tractor-trailer on the New Jersey
Turnpike, police said.
The collision killed Morgan's fellow
passenger, comedian James McNair -- who performed under the name Jimmy Mack.
Comedians Ardie Fuqua and Harris Stanton were
among the injured, as was a man named Jeffrey Millea.
Morgan's injuries
Morgan suffered several injuries, including
broken ribs, a broken nose, a broken leg and a broken femur.
Kay, the publicist, said Morgan underwent
surgery on his leg Sunday.
"We expect him to remain in the hospital
for several weeks," he said.
The truck driver charged in the crash turned himself in to
police, and was released on a $50,000 bail Saturday night.
The driver, 35-year-old Kevin Roper, is
charged with one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto, the
Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office said.
He was a driver for Walmart.
"This is a tragedy, and we are
profoundly sorry that one of our trucks was involved," Bill Simon,
president and CEO of Walmart U.S., said in a statement.
"The facts are continuing to unfold. If
it's determined that our truck caused the accident, Walmart will take full
responsibility."
Chain-reaction crash
The wreck occurred about 1 a.m. ET Saturday
on the turnpike in Mercer County, said Sgt. Gregory Williams of New Jersey
State Police.
"The driver of the tractor-trailer
failed to observe slow-moving traffic ahead," Williams said. "At the
last minute, he swerved to try and avoid the Mercedes limo bus but struck it
from behind, forcing the limo to rotate and overturn."
Four other vehicles were involved in the
crash, the prosecutor's office said, but no one in those vehicles was injured.
Williams said he does not believe alcohol
played a role in the crash, but that is under investigation.
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