MP seriously injured in lawnmower accident

HARLAN, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky lawmaker was seriously injured when the lawn mower he was riding plunged into an empty swimming pool at his home, authorities said Monday.

State Senator Johnnie Turner, a Republican from Harlan, is 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 just before 8 p.m. Sunday. State police did not provide any further information on the cause of the accident. 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 districts in Eastern Kentucky. He won election to the state Senate in 2020, unseating a Democratic incumbent with the same last name. Turner defeated two challengers in the Republican primary in May and faces an independent candidate in the November election. Turner served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1999 to 2002.

Turner is a staunch advocate of the coal industry, which was once the backbone of eastern Kentucky's economy. Employment in Kentucky's coal industry has declined sharply over the past decade as cheaper natural gas prices and stricter environmental regulations prompted electric utilities to stop buying coal.

Kentucky's GOP-dominated legislature begins its 2025 session in January. Until then, lawmakers will meet in interim committees to study a range of issues and prepare for next year's 30-day session.

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