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, authorities told CNN.
James McNair, one of Morgan’s comedy writers who was also riding in the limo bus, was killed, Williams told the AP. He was 63.
#BREAKING: We have confirmation – #TracyMorgan in the hospital from NJ Turnpike crash. Accident vehicle @CBSPhilly pic.twitter.com/WmzAGIVMPg
— Steve Patterson (@PattersonCBS3) June 7, 2014
JUST IN: New image from NJ Turnpike crash where Tracy Morgan was critically hurt. http://t.co/CF7Fk4as27?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000619 pic.twitter.com/U7R5Fziw08
— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) June 7, 2014
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.”
While police have not publicly identified the cause of the crash, it appears that one of the tractor-trailers rear-ended the bus, an anonymous official briefed on the investigation told ABC News.
Morgan gave a standup show in Dover, Delaware on Friday night. Comedian Ardie Fuqua, who opened for Morgan, posted a photo of the event to Instagram:
More from The Associated Press:
Williams declined to release details of the accident, including what may have caused the pileup involving two tractor-trailers, an SUV, two cars and Morgan’s limo bus.
Morgan is in intensive care at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Center in New Brunswick. Reporters gathering at the hospital were asked to wait across on the street until information could be released.
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.
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.
He had a kidney transplant in late 2010.
The New Jersey Turnpike was closed for more than five hours after the crash.
This article originally appeared in The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/07/tracy-morgan-crash_n_5464432.html
