Australian MP Helen Haines Loses Both Legs After Being Repeatedly Run Over By SUV, Remains Critical
· Free Press Journal
Australian federal lawmaker Helen Haines has lost both her legs following an apparent act of political violence in which she was repeatedly run over by a car in her hometown of Wangaratta. The 65-year-old independent politician remains in critical condition at a Melbourne hospital, her husband confirmed on Wednesday.
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Australian MP Helen Haines Critically Injured After Car Hits Her Outside Wangaratta Office, Driver Arrested | VideoHaines was airlifted to the hospital after being struck by a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV on Monday.
Her husband, Phil Haines, provided the family’s first public update on her condition, hours after the man charged in connection with the incident appeared in court.
Husband Confirms Amputation Of Both Legs
Phil Haines said doctors amputated his wife’s left leg on Monday, while her right leg was removed on Wednesday after medical efforts to save it proved unsuccessful.
Helen Haines has had both of her legs amputated, her husband has confirmed.
— The Australian (@australian) October 21, 2026
“What took place on Monday was a horrendous incident and it’s, as you know, caused Helen significant injuries,” Phil Haines said as he made a statement on behalf of his family at The Alfred hospital in… pic.twitter.com/uZJGSR6JbW
“The good news in all this is that Helen is alive and she's stable. That is the most important thing for our family,” he told reporters in Melbourne.
“We are grateful and thankful that at this stage, both her heart and her mind are in good shape,” he added.
Phil also revealed that the couple would celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary in November.
Suspect Appears In Court, Remanded In Custody
Earlier on Wednesday, Brendan Nugent, 43, from nearby Tarrawingee, appeared before the Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court.
'What Is Wrong With You?': Trump Snaps At Journalist Andrew Feinberg During Oval Office Event, Vance Mocks Reporter | VIDEONugent faces charges of intentionally causing serious injury, dangerous driving causing serious injury and causing harm to a federal official.
He neither applied for bail nor entered a plea and will remain in custody until his next court appearance in February. Police have yet to establish a motive behind the incident.
Lawyer Raises Concerns Over Suspect’s Health
Nugent’s lawyer, Chirag Patel, told Magistrate Allison Vaughan that his client might be experiencing mental health issues, although he had never been formally diagnosed with a mental health condition.
Patel also said Nugent suffered from idiopathic transverse myelitis, a neurological disorder, and a concussion. However, he did not explain how his client sustained the concussion.
Ukraine Claims World’s First Drone Airlift Of Wounded Soldier From Front Line, Releases Rescue VideoAccording to the Cleveland Clinic medical centre, idiopathic transverse myelitis is a rare condition that damages the protective myelin sheath surrounding the spinal cord, disrupting communication between the brain and body.
The condition can cause rapid muscle weakness, sensory loss, pain and bladder and bowel dysfunction.
Witnesses Describe Two Deliberate Collisions
Witnesses alleged that the driver first rammed Haines with the SUV, pinning her against her own car.
The driver then reportedly reversed the vehicle before ramming her a second time.
Investigators have not yet established a motive for the attack.