Tracy Morgan Says He Cried While Reliving His 2014 Crash: 'I Just Dropped to My Knees'

The comedian returned to visit the hospital staff who helped him to recover

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Published on November 2, 2021 02:01 PM

Tracy Morgan is reflecting on his emotional return to the hospital where he spent months fighting for his life after a tragic highway crash in 2014.

On June 7, 2014, a Walmart truck slammed into Morgan's limousine on the New Jersey Turnpike. The crash killed his friend and collaborator, comedian James McNair, 62.

Morgan was wheelchair-bound for five months following the accident and previously admitted that he contemplated suicide during his painful recovery. Appearing on the Today show Tuesday, the actor, 52, spoke with Hoda Kotb about breaking down when he returned to the hospital to see the staff who helped him recover.

"It was surreal. They remember everything," Morgan explained. "I had traumatic brain damage so I don't remember anything and they would tell me everything that happened."

He continued, "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."

Though Morgan doesn't remember much from the crash, he remembers his time at the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute where he had to relearn to walk and speak.

The actor also talked to Kotb about one of his physical therapists, Mary, who gave him the tough love he needed in order to reach his goal and walk down the aisle on his wedding day without a cane (He married Megan Wollover in 2015 before the pair split in July 2020).

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"I worked really hard...and now I'm back on my feet. Thank you, Mary."

"I don't think any of us are 100% but I feel well," he added during the interview. "I don't know about tomorrow, but I know today I'm sitting here talking to you. I feel great. I feel blessed."