Tracy Morgan’s life changed forever on June 7, 2014. It was just after midnight when a Walmart truck driven by Kevin Roper slammed into the back of a Mercedes Sprinter limousine van on the New Jersey Turnpike near Cranbury. Inside that limo was Morgan, comedian James “Jimmy Mack” McNair, and several others. They were returning from a comedy show in Dover, Delaware. The collision killed McNair instantly and left Morgan in a coma for two weeks. When he woke up, he had suffered a traumatic brain injury, a broken leg, broken ribs, and other severe injuries that would take years to heal.
Kevin Roper, the driver of the Walmart truck, had reportedly been awake for more than 28 hours before the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) later determined that his extreme fatigue was the “probable cause” of the accident. Investigators found that Roper was speeding—going 65 mph in a construction zone where the posted limit was 45 mph. Had he been following the speed limit, they concluded, he could have stopped in time to avoid the crash.
Tracy Morgan’s Near-Fatal 2014 Walmart Truck Accident and Settlement Amount Explained
The accident sparked immediate outrage over truck driver fatigue and Walmart’s policies regarding driver schedules. Roper, a Georgia resident, had driven 800 miles from his home to a Walmart facility in Delaware before even starting his shift. By the time he was behind the wheel on the turnpike, he had already been awake for well over a day. Walmart faced scrutiny for failing to enforce stricter safety regulations for its drivers.
Legal battles followed swiftly. McNair’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Walmart, which was settled in January 2015 for $10 million. Tracy Morgan, along with limo passengers Ardley Fuqua and Jeffrey Millea, also sued Walmart in federal court. Walmart initially tried to blame Morgan and the others for their injuries, arguing that they weren’t wearing seatbelts. That claim was met with public backlash, and the company later retracted it. In May 2015, Walmart reached a confidential settlement with Morgan, Fuqua, and Millea. While the exact amount remains undisclosed, some reports speculated it was as high as $90 million, though Morgan’s lawyer, Benedict Morelli, denied that figure.
As for Kevin Roper, he was indicted in 2015 on charges of manslaughter, vehicular homicide, and aggravated assault. He pleaded not guilty, and in 2016, he accepted a plea deal that allowed him to avoid jail time if he completed 300 hours of community service. If he met those conditions, the charges would be dismissed, and he would not have a criminal record.
The crash and its aftermath had a profound impact on Morgan, who’s worth $70M in 2025. He later revealed that he had no memory of the accident and didn’t even learn of McNair’s death until he woke up from his coma. The injuries left him struggling physically and emotionally. He suffered from depression, memory loss, and frequent headaches. There were times, he admitted, when he thought about giving up. But his family—his wife Megan Wollover and their young daughter—kept him going.
Morgan made his first public appearance after the accident at the 2015 Emmy Awards, where he received a standing ovation. He later returned to host Saturday Night Live in October of that year, bringing humor to his experience. “People were wondering, ‘Can he speak? Does he have 100% mental capacity?’ But the truth is, I never did! I might even be a few points higher now!” he joked during his monologue.
Since the accident, Morgan has made a remarkable recovery, returning to stand-up comedy and acting. His Netflix special Staying Alive and his starring role in the TBS series The Last O.G. have showcased his perseverance and humor. Still, he never forgets the tragedy of that night. “Bones heal,” he said in an interview. “But the loss of my friend will never heal.”
Years after the settlement, Walmart’s insurance companies, Ohio Casualty and Liberty Insurance Underwriters, attempted to challenge the payout. They argued that Morgan had exaggerated his injuries to secure a larger settlement and sought to have him testify in a seven-hour deposition. Morgan’s lawyer fiercely opposed this, calling it an attempt to “re-victimize” his client. “He was a victim once. We’re not going to allow him to be a victim again,” Morelli said.
Through it all, Tracy Morgan has maintained his signature humor, even using his experience as material for his comedy. “Could have been worse,” he once joked. “I could have got hit by a Bob’s Discount Furniture truck. You know they ain’t got no money.” But behind the laughter, there’s no denying the immense physical, emotional, and legal battles he has endured since that night on the turnpike. Tracy Morgan, who recently had a health scare at a Knicks game, is not just a survivor—he’s a fighter, and his story is one of resilience, tragedy, and, ultimately, triumph.
