A Sikh truck driver who was stabbed 17 times in the United States described how the attack, which left him seriously injured and hospitalised, unfolded.
Accused arrested
Police have since arrested Andrew Kris Bzdak, 45, in connection with the case. Who asked to be identified only by his last name due to fears for his safety, he was on his way to Pennsylvania on Sunday morning when he stopped at a rest area in southern Wyoming to use the bathroom, according to Singh. Because he needed the income, singh, who lives in Sacramento and has been a truck driver for three years, said the incident had left him worried, but it had not stopped him from working.
The attack comes days after the Department of Homeland Security released a poster regarding self-deportation.
He said he had used this particular restroom multiple times before without any problems. As he walked inside, Singh said, he sensed another man following behind him. Moments later, Singh said the man began to beat him before pulling out a knife and stabbing him multiple times around his body, including his neck. The attacker then fled and Singh stepped outside before collapsing onto the pavement, he recalled, according to NPR. Describing the incident as “unprovoked”, he said that he was shaken by the violent encounter. ” I don’t know why this happened,” he said from his hospital room. “I don’t know why they attack[ed] me,” he told US-based news organisation NPR. Bzdak was charged with attempted first-degree murder, according to charging documents obtained by NPR. The poster, which plays on the movie “Transformers”, sparked a row online, with many calling it “racist” and “anti-Indian. Furthermore, the poster also included a sub-text which said: “Get off our roads. Calling the incident “horrible”, he said that the incident should be investigated and the victim should be brought to justice. He added that those “spreading” the hate, and committing violent acts must be held accountable, urging everyone to stand together against both.
The documents did not state a motive. The poster shared by the DHS issued a warning to immigrants to “self-deport or find out. You don’t know how to drive, Mr Singh. Rep. Mike Thompson, who represents California’s 4th Congressional District also condemned the stabbing incident. “This is horrible. This incident must be thoroughly investigated and the person responsible must be brought to justice. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Singh and his family during these difficult times,” he wrote on X. Singh and his family during these difficult times,” he wrote on X. (With inputs from NPR)
Singh said he was rescued and saved by a Hispanic family who was at the rest area, and tried to attend to his wounds and seek medical help. ” They [gave] me the second life,” he said. “Those spreading this hate, including officials in our own federal government, need to stop. Those who turn it into violence must be held accountable. And all of us need to stand together against both. America must be better than this. I’m praying for Mr. Singh’s full recovery and grateful to the family whose quick action helped save his life,” he added.
“I’m horrified by the brutal attack on a Sikh truck driver who was stabbed 17 times at a Wyoming rest stop.
“I am scared and also upset because I have to work regularly,” he said. “I am just worried … it can happen again,” he said. Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi condemned the stabbing, saying he was horrified by the “brutal” attack. This comes amid rising hatred targeting Sikh and South Asian Americans, with even the Trump Department of Homeland Security recently posting a racist caricature of a Sikh truck driver telling him to “get off our roads” and “self-deport or find out,” he said in a post on X. He added that those “spreading” the hate, and committing violent acts must be held accountable, urging everyone to stand together against both.
Singh also expressed concern for other Sikh truck drivers.
Singh Continues Recovery Amid Concerns Over Medical Costs
Singh remains hospitalized as of Wednesday night, recovering from multiple lacerations along with injuries to his chest and ribs, according to NPR. While he is focused on his recovery, Singh expressed stress regarding the mounting medical bills and the impact of missing work days.
