Truck driver Kevin Roper, who was involved in the 2014 crash which injured Comedian Tracy Morgan and killed another man, recently asked a judge to drop all criminal charges against him.
The reason? Roper claims that it’s impossible for him to have a fair trial due to all the negative publicity surrounding the case.
The crash between the Wal-mart semi truck and the limo carrying Morgan and his friends was, perhaps, the most publicized semi truck accident in the last three years.
The incident spurred endless media stories about the dangers of large trucks. Reporters also dug deep into Roper’s social media history and revealed any questionable post that could be used to paint the driver in a negative light.
Because of this, he believes his image has been permanently tainted.
Earlier this year, a civil lawsuit between Wal-Mart and Morgan was settled outside of court. Although Roper wasn’t named in that suit, his request to delay the case until after his criminal case was denied.
A National Transportation Safety Board investigation determined that Roper was awake for 28 hours before the crash, and failed to slow down as he approached the limo.
He was charged with one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto.
As of Monday, there was no official response to his request to drop the charges.