Sikh Truck Driver Stabbed 17 Times in US, Attack Comes Days After DHS ‘Mr Singh’ Post Row
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A Sikh truck driver was stabbed 17 times in the United States after a man allegedly followed him into a bathroom and attacked him without warning. The attack comes days after a row over a now-deleted US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) social media post featuring an Indian truck driver identified as “Mr Singh”.
Attack at Wyoming Rest Area
The attack took place early Sunday at the Bitter Creek Rest Area in southern Wyoming, where the driver, identified only by his surname Singh, had stopped while travelling towards Pennsylvania.
Singh told NPR that he noticed a man following him into the restroom but did not initially suspect anything was wrong. The man allegedly began beating him before pulling out a knife and stabbing him repeatedly.
Singh suffered 17 wounds, including injuries to his neck, chest and ribs. He managed to leave the restroom after the attack but collapsed outside after losing a significant amount of blood.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Singh told US-based news organisation NPR that he did not know why the incident had happened or why he had been attacked.
Family Helped Save His Life
A Hispanic family at the rest area heard the commotion and found Singh seriously injured.
The family helped tend to his wounds and contacted emergency services. Members also followed the suspect's vehicle briefly and provided identifying details to authorities before returning to help Singh.
Singh said that the family had given him a second chance at life.
Singh was later taken to hospital and remained under treatment for multiple lacerations and injuries to his chest and ribs.
Suspect Arrested
Authorities arrested 45-year-old Andrew Kris Bzdak in connection with the attack. He has been charged with attempted first-degree murder.
Charging documents cited by US media do not establish a motive for the stabbing. Authorities have not publicly linked the attack to Singh's Sikh or South Asian identity.
Attack Follows 'Mr Singh' DHS Post
The stabbing has drawn additional attention as it occurred days after the US Department of Homeland Security faced criticism over a social media post featuring an Indian truck driver identified as "Mr Singh".
The department was accused of stereotyping South Asian and Sikh communities over the post, which said that Singh should get off US roads because he did not know how to drive. Following the backlash, the department deleted the post.
The timing has led Sikh and South Asian organisations to call for investigators to establish whether race or religion played any role in the Wyoming attack. However, no such motive has been established by authorities so far.
Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi condemned the stabbing and said he was concerned about what he described as rising hatred targeting Sikh and South Asian Americans.
California Congressman Mike Thompson also called for a thorough investigation and for those responsible to be held accountable.
