- 28-year-old Punjabi Sikh truck driver stabbed 17 times in Wyoming.
- Unprovoked attack raises safety concerns for South Asian community.
- Andrew Kris Bzdak arrested for violent rest area attack.
Indian Truck Driver Attacked In US: A 28-year-old Punjabi Sikh truck driver from Sacramento, California, was stabbed 17 times inside a men’s restroom at the Bitter Creek Rest Area along Interstate 80 in Wyoming on Sunday. The diver described the attack as unprovoked and said the incident has left him and members of the South Asian Community deeply concerned about their safety.
Driver Says He Was Followed Into Restroom
Speaking to NPR, the driver who asked to be identified by his last name, recalled the incident. He said he had stopped at the rest area while travelling to Pennsylvania and went inside to use the bathroom. However, he noticed another man following him shortly after he entered. According to Singh, the man suddenly attacked him, first beating him and then using a knife to stab him several times. He suffered injuries to several parts of his body, including his neck.
Singh managed to leave the restroom but collapsed outside the building. He said a Hispanic family at the rest stop came to his aid and helped him get medical attention. "They (gave) me the second life," he said. Singh said he was still struggling to understand what had happened. “I don't know why this happened…I don't know why they attacked me,” he said.
ALSO READ: 'He Killed Three': US Removes 'Mr Singh' Post After Backlash But Shares Indian Trucker's Crash Video
Attack Comes After Mr Singh Ad
He remained in hospital as of Wednesday night with multiple injuries, including lacerations and injuries to his chest and ribs. Local authorities have arrested 45-year-old Andrew Kris Bzdak in connection with the attack. The attack comes amid growing criticism over anti-immigrant, hate crime and anti-South Asian rhetoric in the US, including a recent social media post by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) targeting Indian truck drivers.
The post showed an image of an Indian man alongside the message: "Get off our roads, you don't know how to drive, Mr. Singh." DHS said the image referred to Harjinder Singh, an Indian immigrant and truck driver who was accused of making an illegal U-turn that resulted in a fatal crash in Florida last year. The post was later removed following criticism from political leaders and advocacy groups, who argued that it unfairly targeted a wider community.
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