Trucker Accused in Tracy Morgan Crash Was Driving 20 MPH Above Speed Limit, Federal Officials Say

Kevin Roper has pled not guilty to one count of vehicular homicide and four counts of assault by auto

By Alyssa Toomey Jun 19, 2014 6:11 PMTags
Kevin Roper, Tracy MorganGetty Images

New details have emerged in regards to the tragic June 7 crash that critically injured Tracy Morgan and left another man dead.

According to NBC News, federal officials claim that the Walmart truck driver charged in the fatal crash was going 20 miles per hour above the posted speed limit. Additionally, the driver, whose name is Kevin Roper, had been driving for nearly 10 hours, federal officials said Thursday.

Data from the truck shows that the driver was traveling at 65 mph just 60 seconds before he slammed into the back of the limo on the New Jersey Turnpike, which carried Morgan and six other people.

Typically, the speed limit where the accident occurred is listed as 55 mph, but due to construction, it had been lowered to 45 mph, the National Transportation Board of Safety said (per NBC).

Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images

Last week, Roper pled not guilty to one count of vehicular homicide and four counts of assault by auto. If convicted, each count of assault by auto carries a maximum 18-month prison term, while the vehicular homicide charge carries a five- to 10-year prison sentence.

The criminal complaint alleges that Roper had supposedly not slept for more than 24 hours before the crash.

Walmart has stated that it believes Roper was abiding by federal driver safety guidelines, which mandate that a driver spend at least 10 hours not behind the wheel before starting a shift, and that no shift last longer than 14 hours, including 11 hours of driving, and was prepared to take full responsibility for the accident if the truck was to blame.

"The details are the subject of the ongoing investigation and we are cooperating fully with the appropriate law enforcement agencies," the retailer stated.

According to NBC, the NTSB is still investigating how much rest the driver had, but Roper is not believed to have violated the federal driving regulations for commercial trucks. He had reportedly been working for 13 hours and 32 minutes at the time of the crash and had recorded 9 hours and 37 minutes of driving time.

Meanwhile, Morgan has been upgraded to "fair condition," a rep for the comedian told E! News on Monday. The 45-year-old star had been listed in critical condition since the accident and had undergone surgery in the days following the collision to repair a broken leg.

Morgan and his entourage were on their way back from a stop on the SNL alum's comedy tour in Dover, Del., when a truck plowed into their limo bus on the New Jersey Turnpike. Veteran comic and writer James McNair, known as Jimmy Mack, was killed while Morgan, his assistant Jeff Millea, and comedians Ardie Fuqua and Harris Stanton were injured.