Longtime Tennessee state lawmaker Roy Herron tragically died after being involved in a jet ski accident. The 69-year-old was also the former chairperson of the state Democratic Party. Roy reportedly died at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, a statement from his family said.
Roy had been admitted to the hospital since the July 1 accident, New York Post reported. He was involved in a collision with another jet ski on Kentucky Lake. Roy suffered internal bleeding and extensive injuries to his arm and pelvis, according to his family’s CaringBridge website. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency was investigating the collision, it has been reported.
“Roy loved his family with all his might,” Roy’s wife, Rev. Nancy Carol Miller-Herron, said. “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.”
Roy was an attorney from Dresden, Tennessee. He served a combined 26 years in the state’s House and Senate, and notably never missed a single session except for when his youngest son was born. He was the chairman of the state Democratic Party from 2013 to 2015.
Roy’s website says, “This experienced trial advocate has represented many injured victims and defended many businesses wrongly accused. Herron brought the case for a wonderful teenager devastated by negligence and, after a month-long trial, the jury awarded a West Tennessee record $15.2 million. He litigated a wrongful death case on behalf of a close friend’s widow and children and ultimately settled the case for a confidential amount believed to be an area record. On the other hand, Herron recently defended a company falsely accused of wronging a former employee and after a week-long jury trial won a defense verdict.”
{{/usCountry}}Roy’s website says, “This experienced trial advocate has represented many injured victims and defended many businesses wrongly accused. Herron brought the case for a wonderful teenager devastated by negligence and, after a month-long trial, the jury awarded a West Tennessee record $15.2 million. He litigated a wrongful death case on behalf of a close friend’s widow and children and ultimately settled the case for a confidential amount believed to be an area record. On the other hand, Herron recently defended a company falsely accused of wronging a former employee and after a week-long jury trial won a defense verdict.”
{{/usCountry}}Roy was a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, and was notably one of the first students who earned joint degrees in divinity and law from Vanderbilt University.
Longtime Tennessee Democratic political operative Joe Hill, who worked with Roy, said he “brought a zeal for making health care more accessible to disadvantaged Tennesseans” upon being elected to the state House. Joe praised Roy for bringing commitment to “education, victims’ rights, environmental quality and so many other things that affect average people.” “His legacy of advocating for ‘the least among us’ will represent the gold standard of service for Democrats and Republicans in Tennessee’s future,” Joe told The Associated Press.