UPDATE: Kevin Roper is expected to make his first court appearance Monday, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
The truck driver involved in a six-vehicle accident on the New Jersey Turnpike that killed one person and left four others injured, including actor and comedian Tracy Morgan, turned himself in, according to the New Jersey State Police Department.
Kevin Roper of Jonesboro, Ga., surrendered on Saturday night, Sgt. Gregory Williams told TheWrap. Roper was taken to the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center in North Brunswick, N.J. and was released the same evening after posting $50,000 bail, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Before turning himself in, Roper had been charged with one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto, according to a statement from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Also read: Walmart on Tracy Morgan Crash: ‘We Are Profoundly Sorry That One of Our Trucks Was Involved’
The deadly collision happened at 1 a.m. Saturday when a tractor-trailer, belonging to Walmart, slammed into Morgan’s chauffeured limo bus, setting off a chain-reaction crash, authorities said.
Morgan and three other passengers were hospitalized following the crash that killed 63-year-old comedian James McNair, who performed as Jimmy Mack.
The group’s limo bus flipped over, and Morgan and another passenger were airlifted to a hospital.
The “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock” star was critically injured in the collision. Comedians Ardie Fuqua, Harris Stanton and Jeffrey Millea were also injured, Williams said. One person was treated and released on Saturday, but Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital wouldn’t release that person’s name.
Also read: Tracy Morgan Opener’s Tragic Tweet Before Crash: ‘Road Life Is a Good Life’
A Walmart spokesperson confirmed that Roper is a Walmart employee.
“This is a tragedy and we are profoundly sorry that one of our trucks was involved,” said Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., in a statement. “The facts are continuing to unfold. If it’s determined that our truck caused the accident, Walmart will take full responsibility.”
Morgan and the other passengers were traveling from a performance at a Delaware casino.