How Two Shoppers Rushed To Help Australian MP Helen Haines After Alleged Attack That Cost Her Both Legs

Two shoppers have revealed how they rushed to help Australian MP Helen Haines after she was allegedly struck by a four-wheel-drive vehicle outside her electorate office, using emergency medical equipment to treat her devastating injuries before paramedics arrived.

Jacob Evans, 22, and his partner Jacklyn Black, 21, were shopping in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday, 19 October, when they heard a collision and hurried outside to investigate.

Haines, 65, subsequently underwent surgery to remove both legs. Her husband, Phil Haines, confirmed on Wednesday that doctors amputated her left leg on Monday before removing her right leg two days later. She remains in a critical but stable condition at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. Police allege the incident was a deliberate attack.

Couple Rushes To Help After Hearing Crash

Evans told SBS News that he and Black stopped at a familiar shopping location when they heard tyres screeching and a vehicle crashing nearby. They immediately went outside and discovered a chaotic scene, with several people attempting to assist the injured politician. The couple joined the emergency response despite having no previous connection to Haines.

'We heard the crash and screeching tyres,' Evans said. 'We then of course proceeded outside, saw the gravity of the situation. Initially we ran down and started helping and then it was very chaotic.'

Black, who studies nursing and paramedicine, helped coordinate the bystanders offering assistance while Evans retrieved a medical kit from his vehicle. Evans said he had considered leaving the equipment behind earlier that morning to make more room but ultimately decided to bring it.

'We're not from here, but we just saw that a person needed help and that was the priority,' Black said, adding that Haines was expressing gratitude to her and her partner, calling them 'beautiful people'. 'Considering the traumatic event that had just occurred, the fact that she was taking the time to say that just shows her character, in my opinion,' she said.

Medical Kit Proves Crucial During Rescue

The equipment included a tourniquet, which Evans used to help control bleeding from Haines' injuries. Working together, the couple concentrated on keeping Haines 'in the best possible position we could get her into before the paramedics arrived'. Their efforts were supported by other residents who had rushed towards the collision.

'We were very lucky that we didn't have to worry about the driver of the car because Ricky and Cody, they had already had it sorted and so many other bystanders as well,' Black said. Ricky Jefferies is a local barbershop owner, while Cody Lepoidevin is a local office worker.

Neither Black nor Evans initially recognised Haines as a federal parliamentarian, explaining that their priority was helping someone in immediate danger.

Bystanders Confront Driver as Others Help MP

While the couple attended to Haines, other bystanders intervened at the scene. Jefferies, whose barbershop is reportedly next to the politician's office, said he approached the vehicle and removed the driver. He also told reporters that he found a knife in the man's pocket and took it away. Jefferies said he then remained with the man until police arrived.

'Once he was on the ground and he was no longer a threat, I just stood with him and told him that he can't leave,' Jefferies said.

Lepoidevin also described the distressing scene following the collision. Jefferies praised an unidentified man who, according to his account, stood in front of the vehicle while the driver was still inside.