Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a joint counterterrorism team had been activated after a car hit independent lawmaker Helen Haines in Victoria, leaving her critically injured, though the motive remains unknown.
Albanese said the collision appeared deliberate. Victoria Police said they were still investigating whether it was intentional.
Police said a white Toyota LandCruiser struck a 65-year-old woman outside an office on Murphy Street in Wangaratta on Monday. Haines’ family identified her as the injured woman and said she was receiving medical care.
A passerby detained the driver after he left the vehicle, police said. Officers took the 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee into custody and seized a knife from inside the Toyota.
Haines represents the federal electorate of Indi. Her family thanked bystanders, health workers and police for their response. EconoTimes covered the earlier account of the Wangaratta collision as police began examining whether it was deliberate.
Police said the driver would be interviewed as their investigation continued.
