After more than a year in review, the National Transportation Safety Board has concluded their investigation of the June 2014 crash between a Walmart semi truck and a limo carrying comedian Tracy Morgan and several friends. The crash injured Morgan and killed comedian James McNair.
The NTSB says that truck driver Kevin Roper was driving 65 miles-per-hour in a 45 miles-per-hour zone and did not slow down upon entering the construction zone where the accident occurred.
According to their report, driver fatigue was the primary factor in Roper’s inability to react to traffic conditions. The report indicates that Roper had driven his personal vehicle approximately 800 miles to Walmart’s distribution center and was awake for more than 28 hours before the crash.
Roper has been charged with vehicular homicide and assault by auto.
As a result of their investigation, the NTSB has recommended that Walmart institute a “fatigue management program”. They’ve also called on the FMCSA to require “fatigue-monitoring technologies” on all heavy-duty commercial semi trucks.
