NEW BRUNSWICK -- The truck driver in the crash that critically injured comedian Tracy Morgan and killed his friend is due in court Monday to be arraigned for aggravated manslaughter.

Kevin Roper faces a court date Monday because of the new, more serious charges that came in an indictment a year and a half after the crash. Roper was originally charged by authorities with death by auto and assault by auto, but the grand jury charged him with aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide and aggravated assault.

Roper will be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. on the new charges Monday by Superior Court Judge Michael Toto, who will also hear arguments by Roper's attorney, David Glassman, on why the charges against his client should be thrown out.

Roper, who lives in Georgia, was driving a truck for Wal-Mart on June 7, 2014 when he allegedly crashed into a limousine van ferrying Morgan, Jimmy McNair and other friends of Morgan down the New Jersey Turnpike in Cranbury. McNair was killed in the crash; fellow comedians Ardie Fuqua, Harris Stanton and Morgan's assistant Jeff Millea were injured along with Morgan.

The indictment charges Roper with aggravated manslaughter for causing McNair's death. The other charges pertain to McNair, Morgan and the other victims.

Authorities said Roper failed to see slow-moving traffic ahead of his rig as he passed through Cranbury, slamming into the rear of Morgan's van and causing a chain reaction involving four other vehicles, including another tractor-trailer.

An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that Roper was speeding and had worked 13 hours straight before the crash.

A report by the New Jersey State Police indicated Roper had not slept for more than 25 hours before the accident.

Glassman, Roper's attorney, previously told Associated Press that the NTSB did not have all of the facts when it announced its findings.

Morgan and the others sued Wal-Mart. The company settled the suit for an undisclosed sum.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.