A 28-year-old Sikh truck driver from Sacramento, California, was stabbed 17 times at a highway rest area in Wyoming after another man allegedly followed him into a bathroom early on September 13, according to police information and reporting by NPR.
The attack happened at the Bitter Creek Rest Area on Interstate 80, near mile marker 144 in Sweetwater County. The driver, who has asked to be identified publicly only by his surname, Singh, was travelling towards Pennsylvania when he stopped to use the restroom.
Singh told NPR that he noticed another man following him into the restroom. He said the man attacked him before using a knife to stab him repeatedly. Singh suffered wounds to several parts of his body, including his neck, chest, arms and ribs, before escaping the restroom and seeking help.
Suspect arrested after truck was traced
The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were alerted to the stabbing at about 3:27am on September 13. Responding officers found an adult male suffering from multiple cuts and stab wounds and arranged for him to be taken to a trauma facility.
Investigators determined that the suspect had left the area in a tractor-trailer heading towards Rawlins. A family who was at the rest area heard the disturbance and saw a man leave the building and get into a truck.
According to charging-document details reported by Cowboy State Daily and Gulf News, members of the family followed the vehicle for a distance and obtained identifying information that was passed to law enforcement. Wyoming Highway Patrol officers subsequently located the truck near Rawlins, roughly 113 kilometres from the rest area, and took the suspect into custody without incident.
The suspect has been identified as Andrew Kris Bzdak. The Sweetwater County arrest listing records him as 44 and shows a pending first-degree murder-related warrant, while other reports citing charging documents have described him as 45 and said he faces an attempted first-degree murder charge.
As with any criminal case, the allegations against Bzdak have not been proven in court.
Motive has not been established
Authorities have not said why the attack occurred.
The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office said there was no known motive at the time of its September 17 update and that there was no continuing threat to the public. NPR also reported that the charging documents did not identify a motive.
Singh described the assault to NPR as unprovoked and said he did not understand why he had been attacked.
A Hispanic family at the rest area helped Singh after he escaped the bathroom. He credited the family with helping him receive medical attention while they also provided information about the suspect’s vehicle to authorities.
Attack draws concern amid separate DHS controversy
The stabbing has attracted additional attention because it occurred several days after a controversial social-media post by the US Department of Homeland Security.
On September 9, DHS posted an AI-generated graphic referring to “Mr Singh” in a message about immigration enforcement and commercial truck drivers. The post was criticised by Sikh, Indian-American and other advocacy groups and was later removed.
DHS subsequently told NPR that the image referred to Harjinder Singh, an Indian immigrant and truck driver whom the department accused of involvement in a fatal Florida crash. DHS said it would not speculate about the Wyoming stabbing and rejected attempts to attribute the attack to the department’s post.
The timing has nevertheless prompted concern among Sikh and South Asian communities in the US. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Indian-American member of Congress, publicly condemned the stabbing and separately criticised the DHS post. His comments represent his political position; they do not establish a connection between the two incidents.
At present, the available law-enforcement information does not establish that Singh was attacked because he is Sikh, Indian-origin or South Asian.
Sikh truck drivers concerned about safety
Singh, who has worked as a commercial truck driver for about three years, told NPR that he was worried the incident could happen to other Sikh drivers.
He remained hospitalised as of Wednesday night, according to NPR, while dealing with injuries and concerns about missing work and medical costs.
The investigation into the Wyoming stabbing remains ongoing. Authorities have asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.
What happened to the Sikh truck driver in Wyoming?
A 28-year-old Sikh truck driver from Sacramento was attacked inside a restroom at the Bitter Creek Rest Area on Interstate 80 and suffered 17 stab wounds.
When did the Wyoming stabbing happen?
The attack occurred at about 3:27am on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
Where was the truck driver attacked?
He was attacked at the Bitter Creek Rest Area near mile marker 144 on Interstate 80 in Sweetwater County, Wyoming.
Who was arrested?
Authorities arrested Andrew Kris Bzdak after locating the truck he was allegedly driving near Rawlins. Reports citing charging documents say he faces an attempted first-degree murder charge.
What was the motive for the stabbing?
Authorities have not established a motive. The charging documents reported by NPR also did not specify one.
Was the attack confirmed as a hate crime?
No. Available law-enforcement information has not established that the stabbing was motivated by the victim’s Sikh faith, ethnicity or nationality.
Was the stabbing linked to the DHS “Mr Singh” post?
No official connection has been established. DHS rejected claims linking its September 9 post to the Wyoming attack, while Sikh and South Asian community representatives have expressed concern about the timing and broader climate.
Is there an ongoing public threat?
The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office said there was no known continuing threat to the public in its September 17 update.
