Tracy Morgan In Critical Condition After Car Crash

Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan was in critical condition early Saturday after a limo bus he was riding in crashed on the New Jersey Turnpike, according to multiple reports. At least one person was killed, and two other passengers are also in critical condition.

The limo bus, which was carrying Morgan and six others, overturned at around 1 a.m. Saturday morning near Cranbury Township, Sgt. First Class Greg Williams of the New Jersey State Police told The Associated Press. The accident involved six vehicles, including two tractor trailers and an SUV.

One of the tractor trailers crashed into the limo bus, state police told The New York Times. The driver of the truck didn't notice that traffic ahead of him had slowed until it was too late, police told ABC. The truck hit the limo bus from behind, sending it crashing into other vehicles before tipping over on its side, ABC reported. No charges have yet been filed.

James McNair, one of Morgan's comedy writers who was also riding in the limo bus, was killed. He was 62.

Comedian Ardie Fuqua Jr. and Morgan's assistant, Jeffrey Millea, were both in critical condition, a hospital spokesperson told the AP.

Morgan, 45, is in intensive care at Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center in New Brunswick, NJ. The father of four is known for his roles on "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock."

"Tracy remains in critical condition at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital," Morgan's representative, Lewis Kay, said in a statement. "He sustained these injuries in an accident that occurred early this morning as one of several passengers in a chauffeured SUV returning from a tour date in Delaware. His family is now with him and he is receiving excellent care. We don't anticipate much of a change in his condition today but will provide a further update once more information becomes available."

Morgan gave a standup show in Dover, Delaware on Friday night. Fuqua, who opened for Morgan, posted a photo of the event to Instagram:

Williams said the tractor-trailer driver apparently failed to notice slow traffic ahead and swerved at the last minute in a vain attempt to avoid hitting the limo bus. But it smashed into the back of the limo, prompting a chain-reaction crash that also involved a second tractor-trailer, an SUV and two cars.

Morgan performed comedy standup Friday night at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino in Delaware. His scheduled appearance at the Fillmore Charlotte in North Carolina on Saturday night has been canceled.

The 45-year-old New York City native joined "SNL" in 1996 and was on the sketch-comedy program for seven years before leaving to star in "The Tracy Morgan Show" in 2003. That show lasted just one season. In 2006, Morgan found a long-running role on NBC's hit show "30 Rock," which was created by "SNL" co-star Tina Fey. He received an Emmy nomination for best supporting actor for "30 Rock" in 2009.

One of his signature routines on "30 Rock" involved an award category his character invented called an "EGOT," representing all the entertainment-related awards he hoped to win: an Emmy, a Grammy, and Oscar and a Tony.

Morgan grew up fatherless, one of five siblings, in a blighted section of Brooklyn, where he helped raise and support the family.

He once called his gift for being funny "a defense mechanism" for his miserable circumstances. As a teen, he started doing comedy on the streets to supplement the family's welfare income.

His tough upbringing informed his humor.

"My aunt was a crackhead," he told his Brooklyn audience in a recent special aired on Comedy Central. "I remember one Christmas she bought me a Game Boy. Then she stole it. Then she helped me look for it."

In recent years, he has struggled with alcoholism and has been arrested on drunken driving charges. He had a successful kidney transplant in late 2010.

Morgan's films include "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," "The Longest Yard," "First Sunday," "Rio" and "Why Stop Now."

The New Jersey Turnpike was closed for more than five hours after the crash.

Source: huffingtonpost.com

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