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    • Kentucky lawmaker dies after falling into empty swimming pool with lawn mower
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    Kentucky lawmaker dies after falling into empty swimming pool with lawn mower

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    A Kentucky senator has died a month after suffering injuries from a lawn mower accident.

    Johnnie Turner, a Republican who represented a district in eastern Kentucky, died Tuesday evening after an “arduous battle,” Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers said in a statement. He was 76.

    Turner’s injuries occurred Sept. 15 when he plunged into the deep end of an empty swimming pool while sitting on a lawn mower, officials said.

    “In recent weeks, his remarkable determination and strength have filled the Turner family – and all of us – with optimism, making this loss difficult to bear,” Stivers wrote. “I will miss my friend; my heart breaks for his wife Martiza and his children.”

    Kentucky State Police previously reported that the mower fell into the deep end of an empty swimming pool. Turner was taken to a nearby hospital and later flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.

    Turner has represented District 29 in eastern Kentucky since 2021 and previously served as a state representative from 1999-2002. Outside of the state legislature, Turner practiced law and served as a medic in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1969.

    “Johnnie was truly one of the most fascinating people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing,” Sen. Phillip Wheeler wrote in a social media post. “His friendship is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

    U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, in a statement to the Associated Press, recalled clashes with Turner as they surveyed flood damage in eastern Kentucky.

    “Johnnie was on the scene, ankle deep in mud, with his gear from home in tow, ready to help people in Letcher County,” said McConnell, who also represents Kentucky. “That’s exactly who he was: a good man who loved the mountains and the people.”

    Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear also expressed his condolences.

    “Britain and I are saddened by the news of the passing of Senator Johnnie Turner,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “We send our condolences and prayers to his family and friends during this difficult time.”

    Turner ran unopposed for re-election after his opponent withdrew from the race. Turner’s name will still appear on the ballot, the secretary of state told the Associated Press. Unless write-in candidates file for the seat by Friday, a special election will be held to fill the seat.

    This story has been updated to add a video.

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