Tracy Morgan has shared disturbing new details about the 2014 truck accident on the New Jersey Turnpike that claimed the life of his friend and left multiple passengers fighting for survival.
The 57-year-old comedian sat down with Saturday Night Live cast member Marcello Hernández for Variety and CNN's Actors on Actors series, released on Wednesday, June 10. During the conversation, Morgan recalled the fatal collision that occurred after he and friends Ardie Fuqua and James McNair finished a comedy performance in Delaware.
The three men were traveling in a limousine on the New Jersey Turnpike when they were struck by a Walmart truck. Morgan provided graphic details of the impact, describing how McNair — who performed under the stage name Jimmy Mack — suffered catastrophic injuries.
"We did a show together that night in Delaware, and we got hit. That truck was doing 70 miles per hour with 85,000 pounds of frozen food in the back," Morgan told Hernández, speaking to Variety. "And my friend Jimmy Mack — God bless — his neck was broke so bad his face was on his back."
McNair died as a result of the collision. Fuqua, a 55-year-old standup comedian and longtime friend of Morgan, survived but endured severe trauma. Morgan revealed that Fuqua remained in a coma for 20 days following the crash, while Morgan himself was comatose for 10 days.
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins star sustained extensive injuries including a shattered femur, broken nose, traumatic brain injury, and multiple broken ribs. Medical professionals placed him in a medically induced coma to aid recovery. Upon awakening, Morgan faced months of intensive physical therapy and rehabilitation to relearn basic functions such as walking and speaking.
Morgan shared that Saturday Night Live executive producer Lorne Michaels maintained close contact with Morgan's family during the crisis. The comedian recalled that Michaels repeatedly called Morgan's ex-wife, Sabina, to monitor his condition. Morgan and Sabrina were high school sweethearts who married in 1987 and divorced in 2009. Sabrina passed away in 2016 after battling cancer.
"Lorne must have called my ex-wife about a thousand times to see if I was out the coma," Morgan said, speaking to Variety.
The truck driver involved in the collision pleaded not guilty to criminal charges. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board determined that the driver had been operating the vehicle for 13 and a half hours, approaching the 14-hour legal limit for a commercial truck driver's workday.
Morgan pursued legal action against Walmart for negligence. The parties reached a settlement in 2015 for an undisclosed sum. During the Wednesday interview, Morgan suggested the compensation was substantial, stating that he no longer performs comedy out of financial necessity.
"You know why we do comedy? Necessity. But once you make it, then you surround yourself with people that need to do this as a necessity. You might not have no bills to pay, because you made it. But they got bills to pay, so they got to be funny," Morgan explained, speaking to Variety. "I got hit by a Walmart truck, so with the money I got, I don't need to do this. But I surround myself with people that need to do this and love it."
Hernández, 28, expressed relief that Morgan survived the devastating accident, telling the comedian that he speaks for many when saying they are grateful Morgan is still here. The Saturday Night Live cast member noted his friendship with Fuqua, which prompted Morgan's detailed recollection of the crash that forever altered multiple lives on a New Jersey highway more than a decade ago.
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Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a pop culture junkie and loves to share what's happening in Hollywood and what trends are taking the world by storm.
