USA Today reports that Wal-Mart truck driver Kevin Roper, who crashed into a limousine van, severely injuring passengers Tracy Morgan and two others and killing 62-year-old James McNair , was traveling at a SPEED of 65 mph in a 45 mph zone.
The news was reported in a preliminary report issued today by the National Transportation Safety Board. "A preliminary Review of the data showed that the Peterbilt combination vehicle was traveling at 65 mph for the 60 seconds preceding the collision with the Mercedes-Benz limo van," reads the report. In addition, it was revealed that traffic was slowed by construction that blocked two of the highway's three lanes on the night of June 7th. A sign warning of the lane closures, was present about a mile south of where the accident occurred. A second sign was put in place a half-mile closer, which instructed drivers to slow their SPEED from 55 mph to 45 mph.
A Wal-Mart Stores spokeswoman explained that the company's trucks are equipped with devices that limit the vehicles' SPEED to 65 mph, proving that Roper was going at the fastest SPEED possible. "Of course we expect our drivers to comply with the laws, whether it's a SPEED limit, or (something else)," said the spokeswoman. "We don't condone speeding."
About Tracy Morgan:
From 2006 to 2013, Morgan starred on NBC's Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning "30 Rock," opposite Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin as Tracy Jordan, the unpredictable star of the fictional hit variety show "TGS with Tracy Jordan." In 2009, he received an Emmy nomination for "Best Supporting Actor" for his work on "30 Rock."
One the big screen, he has starred in numerous films including "The Son of No One," "Why Stop Now," "Half Baked," "Deal at a Funeral" and "The Longest Yard." He has provided his voice to numerous animated characters over the years including Luiz in "Rio" and the upcoming "Rio 2," and Blaster in "G-Force."Videos