By Yoni Bashan
The condition of hospitalized comedian and actor Tracy Morgan
was upgraded to fair from critical, his publicist Lewis Kay said
Monday night.
Mr. Kay added that in addition to his condition improving, the
actor's personality was also "certainly starting to come back." He
added that the family of Jeffrey Millea, who was also critically
injured in the crash on the New Jersey Turnpike, reported that his
condition had improved as well.
Mr. Morgan was traveling from a comedy show in a luxury van on
June 7 when it was allegedly hit from behind by a Wal-Mart
truck.
Comedian James McNair, a passenger in the van, died at the scene
while Mr. Morgan and two other passengers, including Mr. Millea,
were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
The driver and another passenger in the van walked away from the
crash unscathed.
The driver of the truck, Kevin J. Roper, 35 years old, from
Georgia, has been charged with two counts of reckless driving and
has entered pleas of not guilty to both charges.
A criminal complaint filed with the Middlesex County Courthouse
alleged that Mr. Roper, who is out on $50,000 bail, had been
operating the vehicle having not slept for "in excess of 24
hours."
Wal-Mart has said Mr. Roper was operating the truck within
federal rules that require rest between work shifts.
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