Kentucky lawmaker dies after driving lawn mower into empty swimming pool

Republican Senator Johnnie Turner from the state of Kentucky has died at the age of 76.

According to ABC Newsthe lawmaker died after plunging into an empty swimming pool while driving a lawn mower. The incident took place on September 15, when authorities confirmed it Associated press that Turner had dived into the deep end of the pool with his lawn mower.

The senator was taken to a local hospital at the time before being transferred to UT Medical Center.

On Wednesday, October 23, Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers announced in a press release that Turner had died following the accident.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of Senator Johnnie Turner on Tuesday evening, following a hard-fought battle with injuries sustained in his recent accident,” the statement said. LINK NKY.

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“In recent weeks, his remarkable determination and strength have filled the Turner family – and all of us – with optimism, making this loss all the more difficult to bear,” he added.

Stivers, 62, went on to say he will miss his friend, adding that his “heart breaks for his wife, Maritza, and his children.”

PEOPLE contacted Stivers for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

“This loss is deeply personal to me as I knew Johnnie long before our paths crossed in public office,” he said.

“Johnnie spent his life lifting others up – whether through his service in the United States Army, as a member of the House of Representatives and Senate, or in his own legal practice,” Stivers continued. “His unwavering commitment to the people of Eastern Kentucky – his constituents, brothers and sisters in Christ, whom he so affectionately called ‘his people’ – was at the heart of everything he did.”

According to Sky NewsTurner served in the U.S. Army and the Kentucky House of Representatives. He then became a state senator in 2020 and worked in his legal practice.