Tracy Morgan: Truck driver charged with manslaughter over accident that injured comedian and killed friend

Tracy Morgan was severely injured in the accident (Reuters)

A truck driver involved in an accident that severely injured comedian Tracy Morgan and killed one of his friends, could face up to thirty years in jail after he was charged with manslaughter.

A grand jury decided to bring three charges against driver Kevin Roper, over the June 2014 crash that killed comedian James McNair and seriously injured Morgan and several others.

Morgan, a former 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live star, suffered brain trauma, broken ribs and a broken leg.

Mr Roper had not slept for 28 hours before the accident (Facebook)

Mr Roper with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree vehicular homicide and third-degree aggravated assault in the June 2014 crash, according to the Associated Press.

Mr Roper’s lawyer, Roper's attorney, David Glassman, sought to have the initial charges of vehicular homicide and assault by auto thrown out because of adverse publicity surrounding Morgan's settlement of a lawsuit with Wal-Mart earlier this year. That aspect of the case will be examined next month.

Roper, of Jonesboro, Georgia, was driving a Wal-Mart truck when the crash occurred on the New Jersey Turnpike. He was not in court Wednesday, and a formal charging, or arraignment, will be scheduled at a later date.

Aggravated manslaughter carries a 10-to-30-year prison term upon conviction, while a death-by-auto charge carries a five-to-10-year prison sentence. Each assault-by-auto charge is punishable by up to 18 months in prison.

An federal investigation concluded in August that Mr Roper had not slept in the 28 hours before the crash. The report concluded he failed to slow down immediately before the crash despite posted warning signs on the turnpike.