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During the SNL50: The Red Carpet special on February 16, comedian and actor Tracy Morgan shared that he's grateful he survived the 2014 accident that left him in a coma for weeks.
"This is incredible," Morgan told actor and comedian Matt Rogers during the Red Carpet event. "Just thank the Lord that I’m a part of this, that I survived the accident and I’m alive to be here for this."
According to People magazine, Morgan was involved in a near-fatal accident on June 7, 2014, when a Walmart truck collided with his limousine from behind on the New Jersey Turnpike. The accident broke Tracy Morgan's legs and put him in a coma for two weeks. Comedian James McNair, who was in the limousine, died at 62, and other passengers were left with injuries.
Authorities at the time said that the truck driver hadn’t slept in over 24 hours, and if he hadn’t been speeding, he would have been able to stop his vehicle before impact.
After waking up from the coma, Tracy Morgan went to JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison, New Jersey, to learn to speak and walk.
In an exclusive to People in June 2024, the 10th anniversary of the accident, he remembered his collaborator and mentor, James McNair. He also said that the victims and their families had forgiven the Walmart truck driver.
"I want to say to everyone who was in the van with me that night I love you, and we miss you, Uncle Jimmy Mac, and God bless your family. And to the driver that night and his family, me and my comrades forgive you."
Tracy Morgan returned to SNL set to perform after 22 years
Morgan was part of the Saturday Night Live cast from 1996 to 2003. He joined former cast members Eddie Murphy, Leslie Jones, and the longest-serving cast member, Kenan Thompson, to perform in a sketch during SNL50: The Anniversary Special. The sketch, titled Black Jeopardy, is a comedic game show featuring Tom Hanks and Chris Rock.
In Peacock's SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night docuseries, Tracy Morgan talked about working in the show and how, at first, he felt out of place. Then, when Lorne Michaels, the show's creator, gave him courage, he felt comfortable working on the show.
"Lorne Michaels had that talk with me. He said, ‘Tracy, I hired you because you’re funny, not because you’re Black. So just do your thing.’ And that’s when I started doing my thing," he said.
Saturday Night Live celebrated its 50 years long journey
Comedian and actor Steve Martin opened the show with his monologue, which included cameos from Martin Short and John Mulaney. Sabrina Carpenter, Paul Simon, Lil Wayne, and Miley Cyrus were musical guests at the SNL50: The Anniversary Special, which aired on February 16.
Several celebrities, including Alec Baldwin, Aubrey Plaza, Adam Sandler, Tom Hanks, Kim Kardashian, Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Reynolds, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Pedro Pascal, Dave Chappelle, Woody Harrelson, Peyton Manning, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, etc, appeared as cameos in the show.
The SNL50: The Anniversary Special episode aired live on NBC from 8 pm to 11 pm on February 16 and is available for streaming on Peacock.
