MELBOURNE, Australia | October 21, 2026 | Australian independent lawmaker Helen Haines has lost both legs after being struck twice by a vehicle outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, Victoria, with her husband confirming that she remains in critical but stable condition in hospital.
Haines, 65, was seriously injured on Monday, October 19, when a Toyota LandCruiser allegedly struck her outside her office in northeastern Victoria. According to Australian public broadcaster ABC News, doctors amputated her left leg on Monday and later removed her right leg after initially attempting to save it.
Her husband, Phil Haines, told reporters outside The Alfred hospital in Melbourne that the family was grateful she had survived, while acknowledging that her recovery would be long and difficult.
Victoria Police said the incident appeared to have been targeted. A 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee was charged in connection with the attack, including offences involving dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury and causing harm to a Commonwealth public official. The allegations have yet to be established in court.
Witness accounts reported by ABC News indicated that the vehicle made a U-turn before striking Haines, then reversed and hit her again. Bystanders rushed to assist her and restrained the driver until police arrived.
Haines represents the federal electorate of Indi in northeastern Victoria. First elected to the Australian House of Representatives in 2019, she was re-elected in 2022 and 2025. Before entering politics, she worked as a nurse, midwife and health researcher, focusing on regional health services.
The attack has raised concerns about the safety of elected officials and the risks of violence against public servants. Australian political leaders have condemned the incident as police continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
