Kentucky lawmaker recovering after driving a lawnmower into an empty swimming pool

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky lawmaker who was critically injured when the lawn mower he was riding plunged into an empty swimming pool has made progress in his recovery, a legislative spokesman said Wednesday.

State Sen. Johnnie Turner was able to sit upright and communicate on Tuesday and continued to improve Wednesday, said Dustin Isaacs, a spokesman for the Republican supermajority in the Kentucky Senate.

“While he remains in ICU and in some pain, we are grateful for this positive progression,” Isaacs said in a statement.

Turner, a Republican from Harlan, was injured Sunday when he drove his mower into the deep end of the pool at his home, Kentucky State Police said. No details were provided as to what caused the accident.

Turner was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. His family has requested prayers for his “speedy recovery,” Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers has said.

Turner, an attorney, represents multiple counties in eastern Kentucky. He won election to the state Senate in 2020, ousting a Democratic incumbent with a nearly identical name. Turner defeated two challengers in the Republican primary in May, and he is being challenged by an independent candidate in the November election. Turner previously served in the Kentucky House from 1999 to 2002.