According to Gale Cherry, mayor of Princeton, Knight fell last night and hit his head. Cherry said he died in Nashville from hematoma, or blood clotting, from head trauma.
A resident of Fredonia, Knight had served as Caldwell County Judge since 1994.
He was in his late 60s and is survived by a wife, Carol, a son and a daughter, according to Crittenden County Judge-Executive Fred Brown. A close friend of Knight's, Brown said he also had a son that died within the last couple of years.
"He was a good buddy of mine," Brown lamented. "And he was a great community leader and worked hard at it."
Under Knight's leadership, Caldwell County added several new economic development projects, including Bremner and about a half dozen other plants, according to Brown. Plans for a Wal-Mart Supercenter and a new hospital in Princeton were also finalized under Knight.
Cherry said Wednesday morning that she had just seen Knight the day before during a community meeting. When the fall was first reported, the mayor said, it was not thought to be a bad injury.
"They didn't think it was that serious," she said.
However, Knight was eventually flown to St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville after being taken to Caldwell County Hospital.
According to Knight's biography on Pennyrile Area Development District's Web site, the judge-executive listed gardening, landscaping, horses and old cars as his hobbies. Among many other boards and agencies on which Knight served, he was member of PADD's board of directors.
Gov. Steve Beshear will appoint a temporary replacement as judge-executive in Caldwell County, until a special election can be held.
