State senator dies after freak lawnmower accident

Sen. Johnnie Turner, a Kentucky Republican, died Tuesday, Senate President Robert Stivers said in a statement on behalf of the Senate Majority Committee.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Senator Johnnie Turner passed away on Tuesday evening after struggling to cope with injuries sustained in his recent accident,” the statement said.

Turner, who died at age 76, was injured last month when he fell into an empty swimming pool while driving a lawn mower, the Associated Press reported.

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“Johnnie spent his life helping others – whether through his service in the U.S. Army, as a member of the State House of Representatives and Senate, or in his private law practice. His unwavering commitment to the people of Eastern Kentucky – his constituents, “The desire to be brothers and sisters in Christ, whom he so lovingly called 'his people,' was at the heart of everything he did,” Stivers noted.

In a Facebook post, State Senator Phillip Wheeler noted that Turner was a generous person.

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Kentucky State Senator Robert Stivers (Kentucky General Assembly)

“Johnnie was an ardent Christian, as evidenced by his great generosity. In short, Johnnie was one of the most generous people I have ever met,” Wheeler wrote. “Rest still, dear friend, and rejoice in the presence of the Lord. Your work here is done.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also commented on Turner.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., concludes a press conference at the U.S. Capitol after luncheons in the Senate on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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“I remember meeting Johnnie to survey the damage left by the devastating floods in eastern Kentucky,” McConnell recalled in a statement. “Johnnie was on the scene, ankle-deep in mud, his equipment from home in tow, ready to help the people of Letcher County. That’s exactly what he was: a good man who loved the mountains and their people.”