Australian MP Helen Haines loses leg after 'deliberate' car attack in Wangaratta

Independent MP Helen Haines, 65, is in critical condition after a driver deliberately ran her down twice outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday afternoon. Surgeons at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital amputated one of her legs overnight and are fighting to save the other.

What happened on Murphy Street

It was 3:35 pm on Monday, and Haines was at the back of her own car outside her electorate office on Murphy Street in Wangaratta, loading or unloading the boot. A white Toyota LandCruiser passed, made a U-turn, and drove straight at her, witnesses told national broadcaster ABC.

The driver didn't stop there. According to what Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke relayed from witnesses, the vehicle reversed and struck her a second time, pinning her between two cars.

Her condition now

She was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and underwent surgery overnight. ABC and the Sydney Morning Herald reported that doctors amputated one of her legs and are working to save the other. She remains in critical condition, with her husband Phil and their three adult children at her bedside.

The suspect and the investigation

The 43-year-old driver was restrained at the scene and arrested. Police found a knife in his car. Australian media reported that he is known to police and named him as Brendan Nugent — he had not been charged as of Tuesday morning.

Federal police, the counter-terrorism squad and Victoria state police are investigating together. One possible charge under consideration: causing harm to a government official, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment. AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett called the incident "isolated" and said there were no known broader threats connected to it.

The barber who stepped in

Ricky Jefferies, whose barber shop sits a couple of doors down, heard the impact and ran outside. He dragged the driver from the LandCruiser, searched his pockets, found a flick knife and threw it away.

"He didn't pull it out. I just wasn't comfortable with his movements and so I took it out of his pocket and threw it away," he told the BBC. Another bystander helped restrain the driver. Jefferies is now being hailed a hero — but he deflected the credit: "The other people here were just, they did so much more than me… they deserve the credit."

"A test of our character"

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese left no room for doubt about what he thinks happened: "It's clear this was a deliberate act. We don't know what the motivation is."

He called the attack "a test of our character" and led an outpouring of support for Haines, who is widely praised for her anti-corruption work and her push to bring transparency into Australian politics.

Albanese refused to speculate on motive, but pointed to a heated political climate and a significant increase in threats against elected officials in recent years. "It's important in a democracy that people are allowed to have disagreements," he said. "But that doesn't mean that you have to draw into question people's motivations or their patriotism or who they are."