Actor-comedian’s condition improves after fatal truck accident

On June 7, former Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan was seriously injured in an accident involving a semi-truck on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Morgan, who was riding in a limo bus with several others when it was hit by a Walmart tractor-trailer, had been in critical condition with numerous broken bones until his publicist announced this morning that his condition had improved to fair.

Veteran comedian James McNair was killed in the accident and three others were injured as well. The collision took place around 1 a.m. when the tractor-trailer failed to slow down for backed-up traffic and slammed into the back of the limo van.

After the accident, police reported that the trucker had been awake for more than 24 hours straight before causing the wreck. The trucker was criminally charged with vehicular homicide and assault by auto. At this point, it isn’t clear if the trucker fell asleep behind the wheel.

The tragic accident has once again shed light on the serious problem of driver fatigue within the trucking industry. When truck drivers drift off while behind the wheel, their powerful tractor-trailers turn into dangerous missiles ready to destruct anything in their paths.

For that reason, the federal government has imposed strict regulations requiring truckers to get a certain amount of rest time in between driving, but trucking companies often push drivers to go too fast and too far, and catastrophic accidents occur as a result.

One of the only ways to stop these horrible truck accidents is by holding truckers and their employers responsible for their actions in criminal and civil court.

Source: CNN, “Hospitalized Tracy Morgan upgraded to fair condition,” June 17, 2014; CNN, “Trucker in Tracy Morgan crash pleads not guilty amid sleep deprivation reports,” Faith Karimi and Ray Sanchez, June 12, 2014