Car allegedly did U-turn and struck Helen Haines twice, in what some believe was targeted attack against MP

The man accused of attacking Helen Haines allegedly made a U-turn before ramming the independent MP twice in what some believed may be a targeted attack near her electorate office, according to eyewitnesses.

The independent MP remains in a critical condition after being airlifted from Wangaratta in northern Victoria to Melbourne’s Alfred hospital for emergency surgery on Monday night.

A 43-year-old Tarrawingee man alleged to have driven the Toyota Land Cruiser was arrested at the scene.

Police were expected to interview the suspect in the attack on Tuesday, acting Supt Ashley Mason said.

The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said witnesses alleged the driver completed a U-turn before the incident.

“What witnesses have described is the driver doing a U-turn to get into the car park and to ram Helen against a vehicle, then to reverse and do it a second time,” he told ABC radio.

“A bystander ran towards the scene, got the driver out of the vehicle and held the driver until police arrived.”

Ricky Jeffries, whose barbershop is next door to Haines’ office, ran from his shop to help after hearing the crash.

“I had no choice but to take him out of the car because it was the right and safest thing to do,” he told reporters on Tuesday morning.

Jeffries, who returned to work on Tuesday morning, alleged the driver had a knife on him. “He didn’t pull it out,” he said. “Basically just … took it out of his pocket and threw it away.”

Burke said: “I think every Australian is grateful for those moments when a hero like this runs towards the most dangerous place.”

The home affairs minister said the nation’s security agencies and police will be working through what more could have been done to prevent the alleged attack and to help keep others safe.

On Monday Burke reported that there had been 1,067 reports of harassment or threats against high office holders in Australia in the last financial year, an increase from 951 the year before.

“We we already knew that we needed to do more to be able to keep people in public office safe and we have been,” he said.

“While we don’t make public the dollar figures and the and the exact provision of security for obvious reasons … we had a very significant uplift in the budget.

“There is a direct line between the temperature of debate and things willing people will say, and then when people are willing to take action.”

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has been joined by leaders and parliamentarians from across the country in calling for a calming of political discourse.

The mayor of Wangaratta, Irene Grant, expressed gratitude to Jeffries for stepping in to stop the man.

“I spoke to the barber this morning and he just shrugged his shoulders. He seemed to just take it in his stride. This was something that he had to do and he did it,” she said.

“He was extraordinarily modest about the very brave action that he took yesterday … he did an amazing job.”

Wangaratta, the rural city in which the incident occurred, is a tight-knit community in north-east Victoria. At the last census it had a population of about 20,000 people, while the broader LGA had just under 30,000.

Haines was elected to federal parliament in 2019 and has been key to the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, as well as campaigning for rural health services, telecommunications access and pushing back on misuse of taxpayer funds, or pork barrelling.