Tracy Morgan crash: Actor moved to rehabilitation facility

The comedian is showing signs of improvement following the fatal collision in New Jersey

A spokesman for Tracy Morgan said the star has a long road to recovery (EPA)

Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan has been moved from a hospital to a rehabilitation facility as he recovers from a six-car pileup in New Jersey that left one dead and two others seriously injured, his spokesman said on Friday.

The former Saturday Night Live cast member and 30 Rock star is showing signs of improvement, but has a long road to full recovery, spokesman Lewis Kay said in an email to the Associated Press.

Morgan, 45, was travelling in his chauffeured Mercedes limousine along with six other people when it was rammed by a tractor-trailer, causing it to flip over on the New Jersey Turnpike near Cranbury Township at about 1am on 7 June.

He suffered a broken leg and broken ribs in the accident, which claimed the life of 62-year-old comedian James McNair.

Kay didn't identify the rehab facility where Morgan is staying, saying only that it is in New Jersey.

On Thursday, a report by federal transportation safety investigators said truck driver Kevin Roper was speeding before he slammed into the limousine van on a stretch of the turnpike where the speed limit was lowered to 45 mph (72 kph) due to construction.

The report also raised anew questions about Roper's work hours and whether they were in conflict with federal safety guidelines.

The 35-year-old has pleaded not guilty to one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto.

Roper had been on the job for about 13 hours at the time of the crash, the report concluded. Federal rules permit truck drivers to work up to 14 hours a day, with a maximum of 11 hours behind the wheel.

If Roper had continued to his eventual destination in Perth Amboy, he would have been pushing the 14-hour limit if he drove at the speed limit.

A Wal-Mart spokeswoman didn't comment on Thursday on Roper's hours or his itinerary.

Messages left Thursday at several phone numbers listed for Roper's attorney were not immediately returned.

Morgan's assistant, Jeffrey Millea, has been upgraded from a serious to fair condition, according to Kay. Hospital officials said this week that comedian Ardie Fuqua remains in a critical condition.

Morgan joined Saturday Night Live in 1996 and was on the sketch-comedy programme for seven years before leaving to star in The Tracy Morgan Show in 2003.

That show lasted just one season. In 2006, Morgan found a long-running role in NBC's hit show 30 Rock, which was created by Tina Fey.

Morgan's films include Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Longest Yard, First Sunday, Rio and Why Stop Now.

Additional reporting by agencies