Not a road accident, but a voluntary investment. The case of Helen Haines shocks Australia. The 65-year-old MP was deliberately hit on Monday 19 October by a man driving an off-road vehicle in front of her office in Wangaratta, in the state of Victoria. The Australian MP remains hospitalized in a serious but stable condition, her husband said, and had both legs amputated following an emergency operation.
What happened
Since the first reconstructions, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that the investment had been voluntary and not an accident. The driver is charged with three offenses: dangerous driving causing serious injury, causing serious injury with intent, and assault and harming a Commonwealth public officer. The man who hit her has been arrested: he is Brendan Nugent, a 43-year-old who lives in Tarrawingee, a town about ten kilometers from Wangaratta.
“She was a long-time friend”
According to investigators, he deliberately hit the woman, but the motive for the attack is not yet clear. The arrested man’s father said Congresswoman Haines “was a longtime family friend” and that “the attack was incomprehensible and devastating.” The attack occurred last Monday, around 3.30 pm local time. Haines, an independent MP since 2019, was next to his car parked in front of the office and was taking some things from the trunk.
Brendan Nugent, driving a Toyota Land Cruiser, drove towards Haines, crushing her against his car, then reversed and hit her a second time. The man was blocked by some people who witnessed the scene, before the police intervened.