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

According to ABC Newsthe lawmaker died after he fell into an empty pool while driving a lawnmower. The incident occurred on September 15, as authorities confirmed Associated Press that Turner had plunged into the deep end of the pool on his lawnmower.

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 late. Johnnie Turner’s passing on Tuesday evening, after a hard-fought battle with injuries sustained in his latest accident,” the press release read, per LINK NKY.

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“Over the past few weeks, his remarkable determination and strength have filled the Turner family – and all of us – with optimism, making this loss even harder 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 reached out to Stivers for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.

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

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

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