Independent federal MP Helen Haines is receiving emergency treatment following an incident in northern Victoria on Monday. Authorities and witnesses report that a car allegedly performed a U-turn before striking the politician twice near her electorate office in Wangaratta.
Following the incident, a local barber was praised as a hero for stepping in to apprehend the driver before police intervention. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the maneuver indicated a deliberate act rather than an accident, noting that the vehicle turned back toward the MP while she was handling items near her car.
Emergency responders airlifted Haines from Wangaratta to Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital, where she underwent surgery and remains in a critical yet stable condition. A joint counter-terrorism taskforce is actively investigating the incident.