Tracy Morgan sues Wal-Mart and its trucking unit for negligence

Comedian Tracy Morgan is accusing Wal-Mart Stores Inc. with being “careless and negligent” in a lawsuit following an accident in the early morning of June 7 on the New Jersey Turnpike in which a Wal-Mart truck driver hit his limousine, killing one passenger and seriously injuring him and other passengers.

The driver, Kevin Roper, began his shift at about 11:22 a.m. June 6 after a 700-mile commute from his home in Jonesboro, Georgia, to a Wal-Mart facility in Smyrna, Delaware. The accident happened at 12:54 a.m. June 7.

The lawsuit, filed July 10 in U.S. District Court in Trenton, New Jersey, against Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart and its Wal-Mart Transportation L.L.C. subsidiary, claims Mr. Roper fell asleep behind the wheel of his truck because of fatigue. Mr. Roper has been charged with one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto.

The estate of James McNair, the victim killed in the crash, is not among the suit's plaintiffs.

“We know it will take some time to resolve all of the remaining issues as a result of the accident, but we're committed to doing the right thing for all involved,” Wal-Mart said in a statement.