Man charged over alleged targeted car attack on Australian MP Helen Haines
publishers 44articles 58first reported 19 Oct, 09:15 UTCdeveloping since 19 Oct · 9 editionstop 25 #18
Australian police have charged a 43-year-old man over an alleged targeted vehicle attack that left independent federal MP Helen Haines critically injured outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, Victoria.
Victoria Police said Brendan Nugent, of nearby Tarrawingee, was charged Tuesday with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury and the federal offence of harming a public official. He remained in custody and was due to appear in court Wednesday.
Haines, 65, was struck by a Toyota LandCruiser on Monday afternoon and airlifted to Melbourne’s Alfred hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery. France 24, the South China Morning Post and The Irish Times, citing Australian reporting, said one of her legs had been amputated. The Irish Times reported that surgeons were trying to save her other leg.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said authorities believed the incident was deliberate but that the motive remained unknown. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said witnesses described the driver making a U-turn before ramming Haines against another vehicle and then striking her a second time. A joint counterterrorism taskforce is investigating alongside Victoria Police and other federal agencies.
Local barber Ricky Jefferies said he ran from his nearby shop after hearing the crash, removed a knife from the driver’s pocket and detained him until police arrived. Authorities said there was no continuing threat to the public.
Haines, a former nurse and midwife, has represented the constituency of Indi since 2019.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 7 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 24 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 44
- Source articles
- 58
- Given to the writer
- 8, 7 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7
- This version written
- 24 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →