The split-second decision that put Ricky in danger to save Helen Haines

Wangaratta: Ricky Jefferies had only a split second to react when he saw a car had hit Helen Haines outside her Wangaratta office.

“I heard a bang with no brakes,” he said.

On one hand, the man behind the wheel of the Toyota LandCruiser was behaving in a way that made him uncomfortable. On the other, Jefferies had a family of three young kids to consider.

“My wife will be disappointed if I’m injured,” he thought to himself.

But in an act that came as no surprise to those who know him well, he immediately decided to intervene.

Jefferies ran to the driver’s side of the vehicle.

That’s when he noticed the driver had a knife and, reaching in, Jefferies quickly wrenched the blade from the man’s pocket and tossed it away.

He then wrestled the driver down and held him there with the weight of his body until police arrived.

When he arrived on Tuesday morning to open his barbershop, Jefferies found himself having to push through a crowd of grateful locals and media who were all there for him.

“I’m surprised to see everyone here,” he said.

“I don’t think I’m a hero. I was a person who had an opportunity to intervene in a safe-ish sort of way. I’m humbled, and I’m grateful and blessed to have been there to help.”

Haines, 65, remains in a critical condition after she was hit by the car outside her electorate office on Monday afternoon.

As emergency services rushed to help, they handcuffed the man that Jefferies had subdued on the road.

A 43-year-old man, who this masthead has identified as Brendan Nugent, remains in custody.

On Tuesday, everyone from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Wangaratta residents were praising his bravery.

Jessica Bear, the owner of the coffee shop two doors down from Haines’ office, said Jefferies actions spoke to his selflessness as a person. “It definitely needs to be known about his bravery.”

“Ricky raced out when he thought that it was just a car accident, and he apprehended the man that was in the vehicle,” Bear said.

“Ricky thought in a split second and risked his own life. It could have definitely been a lot more tragic.”

Bear said she had known Jefferies, a husband and father of three young children, for years.

“We’re very close to them, so I can wholeheartedly say he’s a selfless man. I’m not surprised that he stepped in and tried to do the right thing,” Bear said.

“He’s a young dad of three kids and has a wife at home, so anything terrible could have happened.”

A vase of flowers rested on the table out the front of Jefferies’ barbershop on Tuesday morning, matching the floral tribute at Haines’ office.

Underneath the vase was a handwritten note for Jefferies: “I hope you are OK. We pray for you. Nev and Donna.”

Jefferies was joined by several other locals shortly after, including Cody Lepoidevin. The 20-year-old was working across the street when he heard jolts and screams.

He said initially it looked like an accident, but then he saw the car drive forward again “at least three times”.

“We thought he was trying to run away, but he then reversed and drove back into her another three times before trying to flee,” Lepoidevin told reporters.

“I was there to restrain him [Nugent] against the wall, but yeah, more or less they got him out of the car. He was quite delirious … from there on, it was pretty much just blur. We did what we could.”

Nugent is expected to be interviewed by police later today.

Victoria Police’s chief commissioner Mike Bush joined the chorus of praise for Jefferies, Lepoidevin and the other locals who intervened at a press conference on Tuesday.

“They put their own lives in jeopardy to get in front of what was occurring,” Bush said. “I’d also like to acknowledge our staff that were on the scene actually within eight seconds.”

As Wangaratta continues to comprehend the terrible incident that has put it on the national stage, locals’ actions have shown what the town is all about, according to Mayor Irene Grant.

“That’s the sort of thing that I think we are known for, our community,” she said.

“We volunteer, we step up, we support each other, and never more so than in a situation like this, people do rally, and I think that will be what will happen as the days unfold.”