State senator dies following freak lawn mower accident

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

"It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Sen. Johnnie Turner’s passing Tuesday evening, following a hard-fought battle with injuries sustained in his recent accident," the statement reads. 

Turner, who passed away at 76, was hurt last month when he plummeted into an empty swimming pool while riding a lawn mower, the Associated Press reported.

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"Johnnie spent his life lifting others—whether through his service in the U.S. Army, as a member of the State House of Representatives and State Senate, or in his private legal practice. His unwavering commitment to the people of Eastern Kentucky—his constituents, brothers and sisters in Christ, whom he so fondly referred to as ‘his people’—was at the heart of everything he did," Stivers noted.

In a Facebook post, state Sen. Phillip Wheeler noted that Turner was a generous person.

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"Johnnie was fervent Christian, which was demonstrated by his great generosity. Simply put, Johnnie was one of the most generous people I have ever met," Wheeler wrote. "Rest easy dear friend and rejoice in the presence of the Lord. Your work here is done."

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also shared his thoughts about Turner.

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"I remember crossing paths with Johnnie to survey the damage left by the devastating floods that hit 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 folks in Letcher County. That’s just who he was: a good man who loved the mountains and its people."