Australian lawmaker Helen Haines has had both legs amputated after being struck by a car outside her electorate office in what her husband called a “horrendous incident.”
Phil Haines gave an update on his wife’s condition during a press conference in Melbourne on Oct. 21.
“The good news in all this is that Helen is alive and she’s stable. That is the most important thing for our family,” Phil said, according to The Associated Press. “We are grateful and thankful that at this stage, both her heart and her mind are in good shape.”
Brendan Nugent Taken Into Custody After Helen Haines Struck By LandCruiser
The independent politician was outside her Wangaratta office at about 3:35 p.m. on Oct. 19 when police say she was hit by a Toyota LandCruiser driven by 43-year-old Brendan Nugent. According to The Associated Press, Nugent allegedly pinned the 65-year-old lawmaker against her own vehicle before reversing and striking her again.
Brendan was pulled from the vehicle by bystanders and taken into custody, the BBC reported. He faces charges of dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury and causing harm to a Commonwealth public official, a federal offense in Australia, according to ABC News. He has not yet entered a plea.
Witnesses immediately rushed to Helen’s aid.
“She was thanking us,” witness Jacklyn Black told Nine News. “It was incredible.”
Black’s partner, Jacob Evans, retrieved a tourniquet from his bag in an effort to slow the bleeding.
“I threw the tourniquet on the leg that was most damaged,” Evans told Nine’s Today. “We took anything from our surroundings that we could to help us.”
Another witness, Cody Lepoivedin, said Helen was “very distraught” during the ordeal but managed to remain composed until emergency crews arrived.
Helen was taken to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery, during which doctors amputated one of her legs. Medical staff later removed her second leg after efforts to save it were unsuccessful, her husband said.
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Phil said his wife now faces a “long and difficult” recovery. The couple is also preparing to mark their 40th wedding anniversary next month.
“She is a determined person who will do her best, with our support and love, to recover,” he said, according to the BBC. “And that is what we hope for.”
Brendan Nugent’s Attorney Says He May Be Struggling With Mental Health Issues
Brendan appeared in Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on the morning of Oct. 21 but has not entered a plea to the charges.
His lawyer, Chirag Patel, told the court that Brendan may have mental health issues, although he has never received a formal diagnosis, according to The Associated Press.
The defense attorney also said Brendan was suffering from a concussion and a neurological condition known as idiopathic transverse myelitis. The Mayo Clinic describes transverse myelitis as inflammation on both sides of the spinal cord that can damage nerve cell fibers.
He remains in custody without bond.
Authorities Have Not Announced Motive in Helen Haines Crash
Authorities have not identified a motive in the alleged attack. However, investigators are examining every possibility, including whether it may have been politically motivated, CBS News reported.
“We’re examining social media associations,” Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush told reporters, adding that investigators were speaking with “witnesses, friends and colleagues.”
Australia’s Governor-General Sam Mostyn urged the public to take a “moment for us to pause, and to choose to be better” during the Oct. 21 press conference addressing Helen’s injuries.
“We should do what I imagine Helen would be doing if she was not the victim of this terrible attack—reaching out to those who are terribly distressed by what has happened,” Mostyn said, per the BBC.”Most importantly, that we learn or re-learn to exercise our muscle of decency.”
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