HARLAN, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky lawmaker was seriously injured when the lawn mower he was riding crashed into an empty swimming pool near his home, authorities said Monday.
Sen. Johnnie Turner, a Republican from Harlan, was in critical but stable condition at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers said.
Turner was injured when he drove his lawn mower into the deep end of the pool, Kentucky State Police said. Authorities received the 911 call shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday. State police did not have details about what caused the crash. Turner was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to UT Medical Center.
Turner’s injuries were not immediately disclosed. His family asked for prayers for his “speedy recovery,” Stivers said in a statement.
Turner, an attorney, represents several counties in eastern Kentucky. He won election to the state Senate in 2020, unseating an incumbent Democrat with the same last name. Turner defeated two challengers in the Republican primary in May, and he faces an independent candidate in the November election. Turner served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002.
Turner is a staunch defender of the coal industry, once the backbone of eastern Kentucky’s economy. Employment in Kentucky’s coal industry has plummeted over the past decade as cheaper natural gas prices and stricter environmental regulations have led electric providers to move away from coal.
Kentucky’s GOP-dominated Legislature begins its 2025 session in January. Until then, lawmakers are meeting in interim committees to study a range of issues in preparation for next year’s 30-day session.
