The Devastating Car Accident That Nearly Took Tracy Morgan's Life

The following article includes mentions of suicide and addiction.

Tracy Morgan experienced a tragic loss at an early age when his father, Jimmy Morgan Sr., died of AIDS-related complications in 1987. A Vietnam veteran, Morgan's father suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and drug addiction after returning home from the war. Reflecting on his loss and the impact it had on his life, the "30 Rock" actor told GQ, "I got lost, you know, proverbially. I was lost in the world, doing bad things, out here in the streets, because I didn't have that guidance. It was gone."

Like his father, Morgan has fought some personal demons and has struggled with alcohol addiction for most of his adult life. He blamed his alcoholism on the "worst drug known to mankind" — fame. "I started to even hurt people that I love," he told CNN. "I was changing." His addiction problems led to the downfall of his first marriage to Sabina, his high school sweetheart and wife of 23 years with whom he shared three children. Sadly, Sabina died in 2016 following a battle with cancer. 

Along with these hardships, the "Saturday Night Live" alum suffered another personal tragedy in 2014 in a devastating car accident — one that nearly took his life and changed him forever. 

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Tracy Morgan was a passenger in a multi-vehicle collision that left him critically injured and that left a fellow comedian, James McNair, dead on June 7, 2014. He and McNair, 62, were riding on his limo bus when a large Walmart truck rear-ended them on the New Jersey Turnpike, thus prompting a chain-reaction crash. Morgan sustained multiple injuries and was in a coma for two weeks after the accident. (When he finally came to, the "30 Rock" star told ABC he "was blind for a week.") He was confined to a wheelchair and spent the next several months working through intensive physical rehab and cognitive therapy. At the time, doctors feared that Morgan might never fully recover from his injuries and be able to work again, according to Page Six. 

During his long and painful recovery, Morgan admitted that he was in a dark place and considered committing suicide. "A doctor said, 'The two biggest accidents in the world was yours and Princess Diana,'" Morgan told Rolling Stone. "Think about it. That's heavy s***." "I was sitting right here, contemplating suicide. I couldn't walk." Morgan said he grappled with guilt over the tragic loss of McNair, who was his friend and mentor. "Emotionally, it's hard for me to deal with," he said. "I have to live with that. But I had to forgive myself."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Tracy Morgan said it was his daughter, Maven, who gave him the strength to fight for his life as he struggled to get back on his feet after the tragic accident. "When I was in my wheelchair, my daughter was 14 months old and I got to see her take her first steps," the actor told People of his daughter, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Megan Wollover. "That's important to a man. That inspired me to get out of my wheelchair and I took my first steps."

He said it was Maven and Wollover who were the reasons he survived. He told People they were his "star players." In addition to his family, Morgan has thanked the medical staff that cared for him during his recovery. Revisiting the hospital in which he spent months recuperating from his injuries, the "SNL" host could not help but break down in tears. "It was surreal," he told People. "I got to the bed that I recovered in and I just dropped to my knees and started crying because everything came before my face: Jimmy Mack [McNair], the truck, my friends that were in the car with me ... all of that stuff came right before me."

Despite everything that he went through, Morgan said he is grateful to be alive and well. "I don't know about tomorrow," he said. "But I know today ... I feel great. I feel blessed."