Sikh Truck Driver Survives 17 Stab Wounds in Wyoming Attack
WHO:
CNN - Bzdak is being held on a $1 million bond in the Sweetwater County Detention Center.
CNN - Bzdak has a criminal history in California dating back to 2004, including convictions of assault with a deadly weapon, drunk driving, and vandalism.
CNN - The victim is a Sikh truck driver identified only as Singh.
CNN - The suspect is identified as Andrew Bzdak, 44 years old.
CNN - Jasjit Singh is the director of legal services at the Jakara Movement, representing the victim.
CNN - Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) commented on the incident.
WHAT:
CNN - Singh was stabbed twice in the neck and twice in the chest during the attack.
CNN - Responding officers observed “large amounts of blood” inside the men’s room, the bathroom lobby, outside the building, and by a parked semi-truck.
The Guardian - Singh stated, “I thought that now my final time had come” after the attack.
The Guardian - A Good Samaritan family provided towels to Singh as blood seeped from his wounds.
CNN - About one in five US truck drivers are Sikh, according to the North American Punjabi Trucking Association.
CNN - Singh was stabbed 17 times in an unprovoked attack.
CNN - Bzdak is charged with one count of attempting to commit first-degree murder.
CNN - Singh was airlifted to the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper for treatment.
CBS News US - The attack occurred at a Wyoming truck stop.
WHERE:
CNN - The incident took place at a rest area along I-80 in Sweetwater County, Wyoming.
CNN - Singh was later seen lying on the ground in the parking lot of the rest stop.
WHEN:
CNN - Bzdak has a preliminary hearing set for September 24 in circuit court.
WHY:
The Guardian - Several prominent South Asian civic and political figures linked the attack to a recent controversial Department of Homeland Security post depicting a Sikh driver.
CNN - Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) stated that the stabbing of Singh came amid “rising hatred targeting Sikh and South Asian Americans,” including from the DHS.
CNN - The motive for the attack has not been determined, and it is unclear if it is being investigated as a hate crime.
CNN - Advocates have raised concerns about inflammatory rhetoric against South Asian truckers, linking it to the attack.
HOW:
The Guardian - DHS officials shared a movie poster-style image with the tagline “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr. Singh,” which has since been deleted.
CNN - A family who heard Singh's screams inside the rest stop bathroom followed Bzdak eastbound on I-80 and called police to report the incident.
CNN - Bzdak allegedly followed Singh into the bathroom and attacked him from behind with a knife.
CNN - Singh called emergency services after the attack and reported being stabbed multiple times.
CNN - A family heard Singh's screams and followed Bzdak, reporting the incident to police.
(UPDATED September 19, 2026 02:06 UTC)
In a shocking incident, Singh was stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest, leaving large amounts of blood in the men's room and outside the building. After the attack, Singh expressed his fear, stating, “I thought that now my final time had come,” while a Good Samaritan family rushed to his aid with towels. The attack has drawn attention from prominent South Asian civic and political figures, who have linked it to a controversial Department of Homeland Security post that featured a derogatory image of a Sikh driver.
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(UPDATED September 19, 2026 01:19 UTC)
Bzdak is currently being held on a $1 million bond at the Sweetwater County Detention Center and has a criminal history in California that includes convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, drunk driving, and vandalism. In related news, about one in five truck drivers in the U.S. are Sikh, according to the North American Punjabi Trucking Association. This comes as Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi highlighted the stabbing of Singh, noting it reflects the rising hatred targeting Sikh and South Asian Americans, which has even been acknowledged by the Department of Homeland Security.
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(UPDATED September 18, 2026 23:02 UTC)
In a shocking incident at a Wyoming truck stop, a Sikh truck driver named Singh was stabbed 17 times in an unprovoked attack, allegedly by 44-year-old Andrew Bzdak, who is now charged with attempting to commit first-degree murder. Singh was airlifted to the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper for treatment after the attack, which took place at a rest area along I-80 in Sweetwater County, where he was later found lying on the ground. Bzdak is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on September 24, and while the motive for the attack remains unclear, advocates are raising concerns about inflammatory rhetoric against South Asian truckers in relation to the incident.