Truck driver in Tracy Morgan accident indicted by grand jury

A New Jersey grand jury indicted the driver of a Wal-Mart truck on Wednesday in the 2014 crash that left "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan with brain injuries and killed a fellow comedian.

The 10-count indictment by the Middlesex County grand jury charged Kevin Roper with aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide and eight counts of aggravated assault.

Roper had been awake for 28 hours and was driving 20 miles (32 km) over the speed limit when his truck hit Morgan's limousine on the New Jersey Turnpike on June 7, 2014, a federal investigation concluded in August.

Morgan, 47, suffered a serious brain injury and broken bones. The former "Saturday Night Live" star made his first public appearance following the accident in an interview on the NBC morning show Today. He also made a surprise appearance at the Emmy Awards in September and returned to host Saturday Night Live on Oct. 17.

Comedian James "Jimmy Mack" McNair was killed and nine other people were injured in the chain reaction collision that involved 21 people in six vehicles.

Federal investigators found that the injuries to Morgan and other passengers were exacerbated by their failure to wear seat belts.

Morgan and some of the others who were injured reached asettlement with Wal-Mart in May, although terms have not beenmade public.

Roper's attorney, David Jay Glassman, said he would cite the civil settlement, the federal investigation and pre-trial publicity as reasons to have the indictment dismissed.

Prosecutors have "already violated every possible constitutional guarantee afforded a defendant charged with a crime," he said in an emailed statement.