A Kentucky state senator has died one month after he fell into a swimming pool while riding a riding lawnmower.
Johnny L. Turner, 76, died Tuesday night, Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, a Republican, announced.
Mr Stivers said Mr Turner accidentally drove his riding mower into the depths of an empty pool on September 15 and died from his injuries “after a violent struggle”.
Turner, a Republican, was a lawyer and a U.S. Army medic, the Kentucky Lantern reported.
He served in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002 and was elected state senator for District 29 in 2021.
In recent years, Mr. Turner has made headlines for fighting for coal industry legislation and other measures to shore up the region's economy, which has been hurt by low natural gas prices and tougher environmental regulations. CBS News reported.
Because Turner died just before the Nov. 5 election, his name will continue to appear on general election ballots, the paper said.
His only challenger, an independent, recently withdrew from the race.
Write-in candidates must apply for the seat by Friday, or a special election will be held to fill the spot.
“Over the past few weeks, his incredible determination and strength has filled the Turner family, and all of us, with a sense of optimism that has made this loss even more difficult to bear,” Stivers said. talked about the death of
“Johnny spent his life lifting up others, whether through his service in the U.S. Army, as a state representative and state senator, or in private practice,” he added.
“His unwavering commitment to the people of eastern Kentucky, his electorate and his brothers and sisters in Christ, whom he affectionately referred to as ‘his people,’ was at the heart of everything he did.”
Kentucky House of Representatives Speaker David Osborne recalled Turner as “an ardent advocate and passionate voice for eastern Kentucky.”
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell praised Turner for “living his life for others.”
“I remember crossing paths with Johnny to survey the damage from the devastating floods that hit Eastern Kentucky in recent years,” he recalled.
“Even though Johnny was ankle-deep in mud, he was ready to take his equipment from his home and go to the scene to help the people of Letcher County.
“He was just that: a good man who loved the mountains and the people who lived there.”
Turner was born Dec. 25, 1947, and raised in Harlan County.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1969 and eventually attended Union University and the University of Kentucky School of Law.
He is survived by his wife, three children and grandchildren.
