A Punjabi Sikh truck driver from Sacramento, California, was stabbed 17 times at a rest area in Wyoming, United States, on Friday, and hospitalized after suffering neck, chest, arms, and ribs were broken.
The attack took place at the Bitter Creek Rest Area along Interstate 80, a stretch of highway leading to Pennsylvania.
The driver, identified by NPR only by his surname, Singh, had only stopped at the rest area to use the washroom when another man followed him inside.
Singh said the attacker attacked him with a knife and had several cuts to him. He did leave the washroom but collapsed outside and called for help, he said.
A Hispanic family at the rest area heard his cries and rushed to help him. The family also gave authorities information about the suspect’s vehicle.
Wyoming authorities later stopped the vehicle near Rawlins and arrested 45-year-old Andrew Kris Bzdak for attempted first-degree murder. The motive for the attack has not been publicly disclosed.
Singh, who has worked as a commercial truck driver for about three years, remained in hospital following his surgery.
He also said he is worried about the safety of other Sikh truck drivers traveling in the U.S.
Attack follows controversial DHS post
The stabbing occurred days after the US Department of Homeland Security faced criticism over an AI-generated, Transformers-style social media graphic of a Sikh-looking man called “Mr Singh.”
The image, posted on September 9, showed a DHS-branded Transformer facing the man and contained a message telling “Mr Singh” to get off US streets and “self-deport”. DHS later removed the post following widespread criticism.
DHS has said the campaign was related to immigration enforcement and commercial driving violations. Reports said the department later said its reference to Singh was connected to Harjinder Singh, an Indian immigrant truck driver accused in a separate Florida road crash.
The timing of the Wyoming stabbing and the DHS post has raised concern among Sikh and South Asian American communities.
But authorities have not established whether the stabbing was motivated by race, religion, or immigration status and there is currently no link between the attack and the DHS post.
Congressman attack
U.S. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi condemned the stabbing and said he was upset about what he felt was a rise in hostility towards Sikh and South Asian Americans.
He also criticized the DHS announcement, and he said violence and hateful rhetoric must be held accountable for the earlier DHS post and violence against Sikhs and South Asian Americans.
Singh’s immediate focus is recovery. In the process, Singh has also raised the safety of Sikh truck drivers, many of whom travel long distances across the United States as part of their work.
