Ricky Jefferies, a barber from Wangaratta, has been praised by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his quick actions in helping independent MP Helen Haines after she was allegedly run down in a deliberate attack. Jefferies, who was working in his shop next to Haines' electorate office, stated he felt he had "no choice" but to intervene.
Incident Details
The incident occurred around 4 PM on Monday when Haines was allegedly struck twice by a vehicle on Murphy Street. Witnesses reported that the driver performed a U-turn before ramming Haines against another vehicle and then reversing to hit her again. Haines remains in a critical but stable condition as of Tuesday morning.
Jefferies recounted how he had just finished cutting a young family's hair when he heard the loud crash. He immediately ran to assist Haines, noting that many others also rushed to help without considering the danger.
““A lot of people got involved immediately, and they didn’t even check the danger,” Jefferies said. “They just ran to help.”
Jefferies' Actions
After reaching the scene, Jefferies managed to pull the driver out of the car, which was still running. He held the man down and attempted to calm him, assuring him that he would be alright. Jefferies also alleged that the driver had a knife, which he discarded during the incident.
