Sikh Truck Driver Stabbed at Wyoming Rest Stop

A Punjabi Sikh truck driver, identified only by his surname Singh, was attacked at the Bitter Creek Rest Area on Interstate 80 while traveling toward Pennsylvania. Singh said he sensed a man following him into the bathroom; the assailant then beat him and repeatedly stabbed him, including wounds to his neck, chest and ribs. After the attacker fled, a Hispanic family at the rest stop rendered aid and called for help, which Singh credited with saving his life. He remains hospitalized with multiple lacerations. Sweetwater County law enforcement arrested 45-year-old Andrew Kris Bzdak and charged him with attempted first-degree murder; investigators have not disclosed a motive.

Indian-origin Sikh truck driver stabbed 17 times at rest stop, Congressman Krishnamoorthi condemns Trump administration’s racist post Sikh truck driver stabbed at Wyoming rest stop NPR

The incident follows a surge in hateful rhetoric targeting South Asians. A recent Stop AAPI Hate report documented a 109 % rise in online slurs against South Asians between January 2023 and December 2025, linking the increase to the Department of Homeland Security’s social-media image of an Indian truck driver labeled “Mr. Singh” and a broader political climate.

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The arrest and charging documents were obtained by NPR. No additional charges have been filed pending further investigation.

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Jasjit Singh, attorney and director of legal services at the Jakara Movement, said the incident cannot be separated from the prevailing climate of anti-South Asian rhetoric. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a statement urging state and federal authorities to determine the motive and pursue appropriate charges. Indian-origin Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi condemned the stabbing as “horrifying” and warned that DHS’s recent post could fuel hostility toward the Sikh community.

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• “The Sheriff's Office has said there is no known motive at this time, but we cannot separate this incident from the climate in which it happened,” — Jasjit Singh

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• “We never thought in this country that we will ever gonna think about things like this.” — Mr. Singh

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• “We urge state and federal law enforcement authorities to determine the motive behind this attack and to bring appropriate charges once a perpetrator is apprehended.” — D.C.-based CAIR

Sikh truck driver stabbed at Wyoming rest stop

• “I don't know why this happened,” — Mr. Singh

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