Tracy Morgan, Walmart Settle Lawsuit Over Fatal Highway Crash

Jun 01, 2015 01:25 PM EDT | Matt Mercuro

Comedian Tracy Morgan realizes he's lucky to be alive after a Walmart truck hit a limo bus he was traveling in last year.

The incident, which took place on the New Jersey Turnpike, killed his friend and fellow comedian James McNair and left the "30 Rock" star severely injured.

During an interview with NBC's Today Show on Monday, a tearful Morgan took a minute to thank the retail company for stepping "up to the plate in a tremendous way" by taking full responsibility for everything.

During the interview, Morgan also confirmed that Walmart had reached a settlement with McNair's family after originally blaming Morgan for the incident.

"I'm just happy that they looked out for Jimmy Mac's family. He can rest in peace now," Morgan said during the interview. "In the beginning there was a misunderstanding but that got squared away. They came through in the clutch."

The interview on NBC was Morgan's first public appearance since the horrific crash back in June 2014. As we reported last year, a Walmart driver was speeding more than 20 mph over the speed limit on the NJ Turnpike when his vehicle struck a limo bus that Morgan, McNair, and a few friends were traveling in.

The truck driver, Kevin Roper, had reportedly been awake for more than 24 hours before the crash took place, according to Time.

Morgan said during the interview on Monday morning that he isn't sure when he will return to work as he is still focused on recovering from the crash.

"I love comedy. I can't wait to get back to her. But right now my goal is just to heal and get better. I'm not 100% yet," Morgan said.

Now that the legal issues have been settled, Walmart CEO Doug McMillion plans to speak with Morgan and his attorney Benedict Morelli sometime this week about the incident.

"We worked closely with Mr. Morelli, and we are pleased to have reached an amicable settlement that ends this litigation. We are deeply sorry that one of our trucks was involved," said Morelli in a statement.

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