Kentucky State Senator Dies From Injury After Lawnmower Accident

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and officials of Kentucky on October 23 expressed sadness over the death of state Senator Johnny Turner. He died due to injuries sustained in a lawnmower accident.

“In the U.S. Army, the House of Representatives, and the Kentucky State Senate, in which he represented Eastern Kentucky communities, Johnny dedicated his life to serving others,” McConnell said Wednesday.

Kentucky State Police said that Turner was injured after he accidentally drove his lawnmower into a pool devoid of water. He was quickly brought to Harlan Hospital and then flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.

Kentucky Republican senators also said, in an update on September 25, that he was stable and improving in ICU and he finished his first physical therapy session.

Nonetheless, on Wednesday, Kentucky State Senator Phillip Wheeler made the announcement of Turner’s death in an emotional Facebook post.

Johnny Turner, longtime Republican state senator and attorney from Harlan, died Tuesday night following injuries sustained from a recent lawnmower incident on September 15.

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, a Republican from Manchester, confirmed that in a subsequent release.

Wheeler names his birth date as December 24, 1947, to one of 11 siblings.

Wheeler said Johnny was a good Christian, and that can be easily identified from the level of his generosity. What he is trying to say is that Johnny was one of the most generous people I have ever met.

Since 2021 Turner has represented District 29 in the Kentucky State Senate, covering counties that include Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, and Letcher. Prior to this, he was in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002. This fall, he ran unopposed for reelection. Before his public service, Turner served as both a medic and attorney in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1969.

In a statement, 82-year-old Mitch McConnell remembered how he first met Johnny as they surveyed damage from the floods in Eastern Kentucky.

Silvers spoke about how the determination and incredible strength of Turner had served to continue to sustain family and coworkers alike, keeping hope alive in them, which made his death all the more difficult to deal with.

McConnell described him as one who was always ready at the call to serve the people of Letcher County, always there with his own equipment in tow, standing in mud up to his ankles.

Wednesday morning, the governor, a two-term Democrat, shared in some of the same sadness related to the loss.

McConnell said, “He was truly a good man who had a love for the mountains and their people.”

On X, Governor Andy Beshear said he and his wife, Britainy, were saddened to learn of the death of Senator Johnny Turner. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as they navigate through this difficult period.

Candidates seeking to replace Turner must file to get on the ballot by this Friday in order to qualify. According to a spokesman for Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, the seat will be held by a qualified candidate as long as there is a candidate that files to compete.