A 43-year-old male driver was detained by civilians and then arrested by police in connection with the incident, according to the supplied reports. Haines, an independent member of parliament, was struck outside her office in Wangaratta, in Victoria.
Albanese said the incident was not an accident and involved a deliberate act. Australian counter-terrorism authorities were activated or investigating, while the motive had not been established at the time of the reports.
Police found and seized a knife inside the vehicle, according to the locked reports. The available evidence does not establish the motive or the final police determination of whether the incident was intentional, beyond Albanese’s characterization and the ongoing counter-terrorism investigation.
The incident left Haines critically injured and prompted an arrest as authorities investigated circumstances that remained unresolved in the reports. No suspect identity or motive was provided in the available evidence.