Helen Haines has lost both legs after Wangaratta car attack, husband says
The Australian MP is alive and stable, her husband said Wednesday. Police allege the attack was targeted, and a man has appeared in court.
Australian MP Helen Haines has had both legs amputated after she was struck by a car near her electoral office in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday, 19 October, her husband said Wednesday, 21 October. Phil Haines said she was alive and stable, while police allege the attack was targeted.
Her husband said doctors amputated her left leg after the driver struck her twice. Surgeons worked for days to save her right leg but were unsuccessful, he said at a Melbourne press conference. Haines, the independent federal MP for Indi, had been in a critical but stable condition after the incident, The Guardian reported.
“The good news in all this is Helen is alive and she's stable. That is the most important thing for our family,” Phil Haines said, according to Reuters. He also said her heart and mind were in good shape and that she faced a long recovery, The Guardian reported.
Charges after the Wangaratta attack
Police have charged Brendan Nugent with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury and causing harm to a Commonwealth public official, The Guardian reported. He appeared in Wangaratta magistrates court on Wednesday. Police are investigating; the motive remains unknown. The charges are allegations, and the court has made no finding of guilt.
The Wednesday update follows an earlier report that Haines had lost one leg after the attack. Her husband’s account now confirms that surgeons were unable to save the other. The change marks a severe turn in the recovery of an elected representative injured near her office.
Security briefing for Australian MPs
The incident has prompted calls for changes to politicians’ safety. Australian federal police and Asio briefed MPs on the security landscape on Wednesday, The Guardian reported. Governor-general Sam Mostyn joined Phil Haines at his media update and praised the MP’s work as a local representative, including her commitment to improving public discourse.
Phil Haines asked people wishing to support his wife during her recovery to donate to Save the Children, The Guardian reported. He described her survival as the central concern for their family as they face what he called a long road to recovery.
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Sources and context
- Australia lawmaker wounded in car attack has lost both her legs: HusbandCNA, carrying Reuters reporting
- Helen Haines has lost both legs after Monday’s alleged attack but ‘her heart and mind in good shape’, husband saysThe Guardian
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.