MP Helen Haines seriously injured in alleged deliberate car attack in Wangaratta

Around mid-afternoon on Monday, Helen Haines was driving past her constituency office in Wangaratta when a white Toyota reportedly made a U-turn and struck her car, then hit her again as it reversed. Witnesses such as Cody Lepoidevin, who was assisting customers at the High Country RoadHouse, and barber Ricky Jefferies, who helped pull the driver from the vehicle, acted immediately, despite the ongoing danger. The driver, who allegedly carried a knife that was discarded, was detained by police.

Haines was left on the road with serious injuries to both legs, and doctors later amputated one leg. Local residents have gathered flowers and messages outside her office, and political leaders have lauded the quick actions of the civilians who intervened.