Former US lawmaker Roy Herron killed in jet ski accident

Roy Herron, a Tennessee state lawmaker and former chairperson of the state Democratic Party, succumbed to injuries on Sunday that he had sustained in a jet ski accident at the age of 69.

According to a statement from his family, Herron, who had been hospitalised since a July 1 accident on Kentucky Lake in which he sustained severe injuries to his arm and pelvis as well as internal bleeding, passed away at Nashville's Vanderbilt Medical Centre.

"Roy loved his family with all of his heart," according to Rev. Nancy Carol Miller-Herron, Herron's wife. "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."

During his 26 years in the Tennessee House and Senate, Herron, a lawyer from Dresden, rose to the position of floor leader and Democratic caucus chair.

According to his website, he never missed a day of class other than when his youngest son was born. He presided over the state Democratic Party as chairman from 2013 to 2015.

Herron, a University of Tennessee at Martin alum, was among the first to receive joint law and divinity degrees from Vanderbilt University, The Independent reported.

The Martin First United Methodist Church was going to hold funeral services on Saturday.

Steve Cohen, a Democrat, described Herron as "bright, hardworking, and honest," and a politician "destined for greatness."

Herron, according to Republican Representative David Kustoff, "dedicated his life to serving West Tennessee and the entire Volunteer State."

Meanwhile, Tennessee House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison said on Twitter he was "the kind of guy that you couldn’t help but like."