Trucker Fights Off Robber With Machete Weeks After Wisconsin Driver Violently Attacked At Rest Stop

by Jana Ritter - Published: 10/02/2017

Yet another truck driver became the victim of a robbery attempt while sleeping in his tractor-trailer after a long day on the road. However, this quick thinking driver managed to fight off his assailants with a few fast moves of his machete.

                                           

The incident occurred early Wednesday morning at the 11000 block of Barton Road in North Little Rock, Arkansas. According to the North Little Rock Police Department, the 57-year-old truck driver is from Atlanta and had parked in the area to rest for the night. He told officers that he had been sleeping for a few hours when just after 1 am, he awoke to the sound of his cab door unlocking and then opening. Then a man armed with a tire iron suddenly climbed into the cab and began demanding that the driver give him his wallet.

Although the assailant was clearly threatening him with the tire iron, the truck driver wasn’t about to hand over his wallet without a fight. Instead, he grabbed his nearby machete and surprised his attacker by taking some fast swings at him. The assailant dropped the tire iron and immediately fled the scene along with a woman who had been standing near the truck’s open door. The driver told police the assailant escaped without injuries and he saw the couple running east on Barton Road. He then realized he had cut himself while handling the machete and after looking through his cab, he discovered his logbook holding his permit and registration was missing. He told police that the attacker or the woman likely took it because it looked like a wallet.

The suspects left the black tire iron behind in the truck as well as an earring stud and a red-and-blue hat. So far no arrests had been made.

                                                                            

Unfortunately, another truck driver who was targeted at a rest stop in Wisconsin a few weeks ago wasn't able to defend himself and suffered a violent attack. The driver had stopped to use the restroom at a Tourist Information Center along Highway 165 and Interstate 94 just before 6 a.m. on Thursday, September 7. According to state police, the rest area is often used by truck drivers as a rest stop and officers were sent to the location when a witness called to report seeing blood all over the men’s restroom.

When police arrived, they found 39-year-old Robert Lyon in the parking lot dazed and bleeding from injuries. "He sustained serious head injuries, and injuries to his torso and chest, blunt force type trauma," Police Chief Swetana said. A surveillance video later revealed the suspect had entered the restroom just before Lyon did then exited the restroom moments later, after beating him and taking his wallet.

While police are still searching for the suspect seen in the video, Lyon's employer (Karl's Transport) has been speaking out about the incident and warning all truck drivers to be vigilant while on the job. The company encourages team driving whenever possible and also reminds drivers that several states allow truckers to carry a concealed firearm for protection.

Comments: