Sacramento Truck Driver Stabbed 17 Times At Wyoming Rest Stop, Suspect Charged

India-West News Desk

ROCK SPRINGS, WY — The stabbing of a Sikh truck driver 17 times at a Wyoming rest stop has drawn condemnation from lawmakers and renewed concerns among Sikh and South Asian truck drivers over rising anti-South Asian rhetoric.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) condemned the attack and called for an end to hatred directed at Sikh and South Asian Americans. He also criticized a recent Department of Homeland Security social media post targeting a Sikh truck driver, saying those who spread hate must stop and those who turn it into violence must be held accountable.

The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the governor’s thoughts were with Singh, who is from Sacramento, and criticized the Trump administration’s rhetoric.

Singh, the driver, is getting support from the Jakara Movement, a California-based grassroots community-building organization that empowers, educates, and organizes Punjabi Sikhs and other marginalized communities.

The attack occurred September 13 at the Bitter Creek Rest Area along Interstate 80 in southern Wyoming, just days after DHS posted an image of a Sikh man with the words, “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 accused of making an illegal U-turn that caused a fatal crash in Florida last year. The post was removed the following day after criticism from political leaders and advocacy groups, who said it stereotyped and dehumanized Sikhs and other South Asians who share the surname Singh. DHS has rejected any connection between its post and the Wyoming attack and said it would not speculate about the motive.

The Wyoming victim, who has asked to be identified publicly only by his last name, Singh, told NPR that he was traveling to Pennsylvania when he stopped at the rest area to use the restroom. He said he noticed a man following him inside.

Singh said the man attacked him without warning, first beating him and then stabbing him repeatedly with a knife. He said he did not know the attacker and did not understand why he was targeted.

Investigators documented 17 lacerations, including two stab wounds to the neck and two to the chest. Singh escaped the restroom but collapsed outside. A family at the rest area came to his aid and helped get emergency assistance.

“They gave me the second life,” Singh told NPR.

The family also helped investigators identify the suspect. After hearing screaming from the restroom, family members saw a man run toward a semi-truck. They followed the truck east on I-80 and photographed identifying information from the vehicle and trailer before turning it over to authorities.

Investigators identified the man as 45-year-old Andrew Kris Bzdak. Surveillance footage showed Bzdak entering the restroom and leaving less than a minute later, followed by Singh, who appeared to be struggling to remain on his feet. Crime-scene photographs showed blood inside the restroom, in the lobby and outside the building.

Bzdak was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder. Prosecutors allege that he acted with premeditated malice and took a substantial step toward killing Singh. Authorities have not established that the attack was motivated by Singh’s race, religion or immigration status.

Singh, who has been a truck driver for three years, said he was aware of hostility toward his community but continued working because he needed the income. He said he is now concerned about medical expenses and the work he will miss while recovering.