Albanese says vehicle strike on Australian lawmaker Helen Haines was deliberate

Wangaratta, Australia. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday that a driver had made a U-turn before deliberately striking independent lawmaker Helen Haines outside her office. Haines remained critically ill following overnight surgery after Monday’s incident.

Haines undergoes surgery

Haines was hit by a white Toyota Land Cruiser in Wangaratta, roughly a three-hour drive northeast of Melbourne. Citing unnamed sources, Australian media reported that she had lost a leg because of her injuries, while doctors were trying to save the other.

Speaking to ABC News, Albanese said preliminary findings indicated that Haines had been putting items into her car’s trunk or taking them out when she was struck. He said the incident was intentional, rather than a vehicle accidentally sliding off the road.

Witnesses describe a second strike

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told ABC Radio that, according to witnesses, the suspected attacker reversed and hit Haines again before a bystander stepped in.

Australian media reported that Ricky Jefferies rushed out of his barber shop, restrained the attacker and took a knife from him. Jefferies initially thought a traffic accident had occurred.

Speaking to reporters outside the shop, Jefferies said he heard a loud impact without any sound of braking and immediately went outside to find out what had happened.

Authorities investigate motive and possible charges

A man aged 43 was arrested after the attack. Several agencies, including counter-terrorism authorities, are participating in the investigation.

Police are seeking to determine a motive and considering possible charges. These include causing harm to a public official, which carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the incident appeared to be isolated at this stage.