Independent federal MP Helen Haines is critically injured after an alleged deliberate car incident in Wangaratta, Victoria, and a nearby barber is among the first people to rush to her aid. Multiple outlets report that Wangaratta business owner Ricky Jefferies ran out after the incident, restrained the alleged driver, and helped disarm the situation.
While Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praises Jefferies for intervening, Jefferies downplays the label “hero,” saying he had “no choice” but to act. ABC Australia and other local reports add that Jefferies credits others present at the scene, including a person who sat in front of the car, as part of the response. Other coverage focuses on Jefferies’ account of events outside his shop, which sits next to Haines’ electorate office. The reporting consistently frames the incident as an alleged attack and highlights competing perspectives: political leaders’ public praise versus the barber’s insistence he was simply helping alongside others.
