A former Democratic lawmaker from Tennessee died after sustaining injuries in a jet ski accident July 1, his family announced.
Roy Herron, 69, a former state Senator who served in the Tennessee legislature for 26 years and served as chairman for the Tennessee Democratic Party, succumbed to his injuries Sunday after a jet ski collision on July 1, according to WKRN News. (RELATED: Connecticut Lawmaker Quentin Williams Killed In Fiery Collision)
The collision between two jet skis, which occurred on Kentucky Lake, left Herron with “extensive injuries” to his arm and pelvis and internal bleeding, according to the Associated Press (AP). Following the crash, Herron was transported to Henry County Medical Center and later flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he later died, WKRN reported.
Roy Herron, a longtime Tennessee state lawmaker and former chairperson of the state Democratic Party, died Sunday from injuries sustained in a jet ski accident. He was 69. https://t.co/qfOz0TI1rl
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 10, 2023
Herron was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1986 and served as a legislator for 10 years before serving for 16 years in the state’s senate. His colleague, state Senator Jeff Yarbro, remembered Herron as a “mentor and guide” to young people throughout the state of Tennessee who spent his career advocating for “the little guy,” according to WKRN.
Democratic operative Joe Hill shared those sentiments, recalling Herron’s “zeal” and “commitment” as a legislator. “His legacy of advocating for ‘the least among us’ will represent the gold standard of service for Democrats and Republicans in Tennessee’s future,” Hill stated of Herron, according to the AP.
“Roy loved his family with all his might. He passed doing what he loved most — spending time with our sons and their friends in the Tennessee outdoors where his spirit was always most free,” Herron’s wife, Rev. Nancy Carol Miller-Herron, said in a statement marking his death, according to the AP.
Herron is survived by his wife and their three sons, John, Rick and Ben, WKRN reported.