A Sikh truck driver was repeatedly stabbed in the US after a man allegedly followed him into a restroom and attacked him without warning, leaving him seriously injured and hospitalised.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Singh, who requested that only his surname be used due to safety concerns, said he was still shaken by the incident and could not understand why he had been targeted.
“I don’t know why this happened. I don’t know why they attacked me,” he told US-based news organisation NPR.
The attack took place early Sunday while Singh was travelling to Pennsylvania. He stopped at a rest area in southern Wyoming to use the restroom and noticed a man walking behind him as he entered. Moments later, the man allegedly attacked him.
Singh said the stranger initially beat him before pulling out a knife and stabbing him several times, causing injuries to multiple parts of his body, including his neck. After the attacker fled, Singh managed to get outside but collapsed on the pavement after losing a significant amount of blood.
A Hispanic family at the rest area reportedly found Singh badly injured and came to his aid. They treated his wounds and sought emergency assistance until first responders arrived. Singh credited the family with helping save his life, saying, “They gave me a second life.”
The attack came days after backlash over a now-deleted US Department of Homeland Security social media post featuring an Indian truck driver identified with the surname Singh. The post carried the caption, “Get off our roads. You don’t know how to drive Mr Singh,” drawing accusations of stereotyping from members of the South Asian community.
As of Wednesday night, Singh remained hospitalised with multiple lacerations and injuries to his chest and ribs, NPR reported.
Suspect arrested, charged with attempted murder.
Authorities have arrested 45-year-old Andrew Kris Bzdak in connection with the stabbing and charged him with attempted murder.
