WANGARATTA: Police arrested a 43-year-old man after a vehicle struck Australian independent lawmaker Helen Haines outside her electorate office in Victoria on Monday, leaving her critically injured.
Victoria Police said a white Toyota Land Cruiser struck the 65-year-old outside the office. Officers seized a knife from inside the vehicle.
A passerby detained the driver at the scene before police took him into custody. Investigators planned to interview him. Meanwhile, Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, confirmed that the Joint Counter Terrorism Team had joined the investigation.
Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation were working together. Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the incident appeared intentional.
“This wasn’t an accident. There was a deliberate act, it would appear,” he said. However, Victoria Police said investigators were still examining whether the collision was deliberate.
They had not established whether Haines and the driver knew each other. Albanese said authorities had yet to determine a motive and that he knew of no threats against Haines before the incident.
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Police believed the public faced no continuing threat. Haines has represented Indi as an independent federal lawmaker since 2019.
Before entering parliament, she worked as a nurse, midwife and health researcher. Her family confirmed she was receiving medical care.
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They thanked bystanders, health workers and police for their assistance and asked the public and media to respect their privacy. Police arrested a man after a vehicle struck Haines outside her electorate office, leaving her critically injured.
