Celebrity

Tracy Morgan Proves Sense of Humor Still Intact in First Post-Crash Sighting

"I'm okay, I feel strong," the comedian declares outside his home in first post-crash sighting

Published on July 15, 2014 07:00 AM

Despite the severity of his horrific highway crash last month, former 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan can still manage a smile for his fans.

The recuperating comedian, 45, flashed a goofy grin and a peace sign to a crowd gathered outside his Cresskill, New Jersey, home Monday.

He also made his first public statement since the June 7 wreck that killed friend and comedy mentor James "Jimmy Mack" McNair – and laid to rest any potential doubts about his ongoing recovery.

“I’m okay, I feel strong,” he said after using a walker and a home health aide to carefully hoist himself into the passenger seat of his truck, reports New York’s Daily News.

The upbeat message sent the crowd into spontaneous applause, which the perennial showman gratefully acknowledged.

“Love you. Thank you very much. Appreciate it,” he declared as the SUV rolled out of his driveway, a scar visible on his temple.

The upbeat comments come just days after the comedian was released from a rehabilitation facility following the deadly wreck. The crash initially put him in critical condition with a broken leg, nose and ribs after a tractor-trailer slammed into the limousine he was riding in with McNair, fellow comedians Ardie Fuqua and Harris Stanton, and his assistant, Jeff Millea, who were also injured.

Morgan s appearance also comes just four days after Morgan sued Walmart for negligence. The lawsuit, filed Thursday at U.S. District Court in New Jersey, claims the retail giant should have been aware that its driver had been awake for more than 24 hours and that his 700-mile commute from his home in Georgia to work in Delaware was “unreasonable.”

On Saturday, Walmart said it was “cooperating fully” with the investigation.