Tracy Morgan's Condition Upgraded 9 Days After Crash
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Comedian Tracy Morgan was upgraded to fair condition Monday, nine days after a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike severely injured him and killed one of his friends.
"Happy to pass along that Tracy has been upgraded to fair condition, which is a great improvement," publicist Lewis Kay said in a news release. "His personality is certainly starting to come back as well."
Morgan had been in critical condition since the crash on Saturday, June 7. The 45-year-old former "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock" star suffered broken ribs and a broken leg in the Saturday morning crash.
Police said Walmart driver Kevin Roper was driving a semi-trailer when it slammed into the back of the limo bus carrying Morgan and several of his friends, who were returning from a standup comedy show in Delaware. The limo bus then flipped, setting off a chain reaction.
The crash, on the New Jersey Turnpike near Cranbury Township, killed fellow comedian James "Uncle Jimmy Mack" McNair and seriously injured two other people. Funeral services were held this past Thursday for McNair.
Jeffrey Millea, of Shelton, Connecticut, and comedian Ardie Fuqua, who opened up for Morgan on Friday, were critically injured in the crash. Kay said Millea also has been upgraded to fair condition.
Comedian Harris Stanton suffered a broken wrist, and was treated and released from an area hospital on Saturday. He walked out of his Brooklyn apartment late morning simply saying, "Thank you guys" to reporters.
The collision also involved a second tractor-trailer, a sport utility vehicle and two cars. No one in the other vehicles was injured.
Roper, a Georgia resident, has pleaded not guilty to death-by-auto and assault-by-auto charges.
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