US
Kentucky state senator Johnnie Turner dies weeks after plunging into empty swimming pool on lawn mower
A US politician has died weeks after riding on a lawn mower that plunged into an empty swimming pool.
Kentucky state senator Johnnie Turner died on Tuesday aged 76 after being injured at home around a month ago.
On 15 September he had seemingly been cutting his garden when the ride-on mower fell into an empty swimming pool.
At the time, a group representing Kentucky Republican state senators said he was in a “critical but stable condition” after the accident.
Local media said he rode into the deep end of the pool.
Mr Turner. File pic: AP
The Lexington Herald Leader news outlet said Mr Turner had started to make a recovery, and even completed his first physical therapy assessment in the weeks after the incident.
However, despite a “hard-fought battle” with his injuries, he died this week.
Coming so close to the election, Mr Turner’s name will still appear on the ballot but his lone challenger previously dropped out, leaving write-in candidates until Friday to file for the seat.
Otherwise, a special election will be needed.
In a statement, Kentucky state president Robert Stivers said: “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Sen. Johnnie Turner’s passing on Tuesday evening, following a hard-fought battle with injuries sustained in his recent accident.
“Over the past weeks, his remarkable resolve and strength filled the Turner family – and all of us – with optimism, making this loss all the more difficult to bear.
“This loss is deeply personal to me, as I have known Johnnie long before our paths crossed in public office. I will miss my friend; my heart breaks for his wife, Maritza, and his children.”
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Mr Turner spent time serving in the US military and the Kentucky House of Representatives before becoming a state senator in 2020 – as well as working in his private legal practice.
As a politician, Mr Turner was known for his staunch support for the coal industry and other causes in his Appalachian district.
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Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell recalled crossing paths with Mr Turner while back in his home state, to survey flood damage to parts of eastern Kentucky.
“Johnnie was on the scene, ankle-deep in mud, his equipment from home in tow, ready to help folks in Letcher County,” Mr McConnell said in a statement.
“That’s just who he was: a good man who loved the mountains and its people.”
Others described Mr Turner as a “man of the mountains” and said he had a legacy that “will live on in those he helped”.
Another state senator described Mr Turner as an “ardent UK sports fan” and said during his legal career he represented thousands of coal miners and injured workers.