- Sikh truck driver stabbed 17 times at Wyoming rest stop.
- Andrew Bzdak arrested; motive for brutal attack unknown.
- Attack sparks concern over anti-Sikh sentiment, hate crime.
A Sikh truck driver was stabbed 17 times in an unprovoked attack at a Wyoming rest stop early Sunday, prompting concern among Asian American and Sikh advocates about rising tensions targeting South Asian truckers. The victim, identified by his attorney only as Singh, had stopped at a rest area along Interstate 80 in Sweetwater County when a man later identified as Andrew Bzdak followed him into the men’s bathroom, CNN reported.
According to an arrest warrant, Bzdak attacked Singh from behind, stabbing him more than a dozen times, including twice in the neck and twice in the chest.Singh managed to run out of the bathroom and called emergency services, reporting that he had been stabbed multiple times.
Responding officers found large amounts of blood inside the restroom, in the lobby, outside the building, and near a parked semi-truck. Video later showed Singh lying on the ground in the parking lot. He was airlifted to Wyoming Medical Center in Casper. He has since been discharged and is recovering with his family.“He would love to get back on the truck as soon as he can. He loves trucking. He’s been driving for nearly four years. It’s his passion, and he’s in high spirits,” said Jasjit Singh, director of legal services at the Jakara Movement, a California-based advocacy group representing the driver.
Bzdak, 44, fled the scene in his own truck.
"We have zero motive"
A family that heard Singh’s screams followed him eastbound on I-80 and contacted police. Carbon County Sheriff’s deputies later detained him. He faces one count of attempting to commit first-degree murder. Authorities have not determined a motive. “We have zero motive,” said Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jeff Sheaman.It remains unclear whether the attack is being investigated as a hate crime. Singh’s attorney has called for a thorough probe into any potential hate-crime or civil-rights dimensions.
ALSO READ: 'He Killed Three': US Removes 'Mr Singh' Post After Backlash But Shares Indian Trucker's Crash Video
Bzdak is White, while the victim is a Punjabi Sikh. Advocates note growing fear among South Asian and Punjabi Sikh truck drivers that they could be targeted because of their appearance.
Some groups have pointed to recent inflammatory social media rhetoric, including a now-deleted Department of Homeland Security post featuring an AI-generated image of a South Asian man with the caption “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr. Singh.” DHS deleted the post and, in a statement about the stabbing, rejected any connection, calling attempts to blame the agency “RECKLESS and FALSE.”
ALSO READ: Indian-Origin Sikh Truck Driver Stabbed 17 Times In US Days After 'Mr Singh' Ad
The North American Punjabi Trucking Association described the DHS post as “disgraceful, disrespectful, and deeply troubling,” while acknowledging broader concerns about commercial driver’s license fraud and language proficiency. Investigators continue to examine the circumstances of the attack as the victim recovers.
(With inputs from agencies)
You may also like to watch