Australian MP loses leg after car 'reversed to hit her a second time'

An Australian MP has had a leg amputated after a man allegedly drove into her and reversed to hit her a second time.

Helen Haines was struck by a white Toyota Land Cruiser in Wangaratta, around three hours northeast of Melbourne, on Monday in an incident being investigated by counter-terrorism police.

Officials confirmed on Tuesday she had lost a leg and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that he believed the incident was intentional.

Albanese told ABC News: "It's clear ‌that there was a deliberate act here. This wasn't an accident, someone just skidding off the road."

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He added that early investigations suggest the car hit Haines as she was loading or unloading things from the boot of her own vehicle. Albanese added: "This is something that is very clear was aimed at causing harm to Helen Haines."

A man, 43, named in reports as Brendan Nugent, was arrested following the attack and counter-terrorism authorities are among the multiple agencies involved in the investigation.

Nugent's family say Haines has been a friend of more than 20 years.

Nugent's father, Rod Nugent, and his partner Christine Cunningham said in a statement: "Helen Haines is a deeply respected, valued and much loved member of our local community.

"Helen has been our friend for more than 20 years and what happened to her yesterday is devastating and unfathomable.

"All of our love and all of our thoughts are with Helen and her family and friends.

"We would like to sincerely thank members of the local community and police who came to Helen's aid yesterday after the shocking and horrific crime. We will be assisting Victoria Police in any way we can."

Media reports in Australia suggest that surgeons were working to save the MP's other leg.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said: "At this stage it appears this is an isolated incident."

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said that witnesses had seen the alleged attacker reverse the vehicle and strike Haines a second time before a bystander intervened.

Ricky Jeffries, who ran from his barber shop and restrained the alleged attacker, said: "I heard a loud bang with no brakes. It was crazy, I just ran out to the front to see what's happening.

"I didn't realise the seriousness of the situation initially, and once it became relevant I just did what I could and what others were already trying to do."

Haines worked in nursing and midwifery and as an academic before she was elected to parliament as an independent in 2019 in the seat of Indi, which she retained in 2022 and 2025.

Albanese said he noticed a "significant increase" in threats against politicians in recent years.

On Sky News' Cheat Sheet, MP Angela Rayner said: "This context of violence undermines our democracy. I have mentioned in many interviews that I might disagree with the leader of the opposition, what a Conversative says or the leader of Reform, or the leader of the Greens.

"It's completely unacceptable to intimidate and to threaten them. These are democratically elected individuals whether we like it or not.

"The things that is really worrying me now is that at local level and at national level we have seen politicians remove themselves from public life."

(c) Sky News 2026: Australian MP loses leg after car 'reversed to hit her a second time'