A Pennsylvania community has rallied to raise more than $11,000 for Hayday Farms after a barefoot carjacker in scrubs attacked an employee and stole a produce van, leaving the small operation facing thousands in losses.
The incident unfolded earlier this month in Bensalem, where a farm employee was stopped at a traffic light en route to a Philadelphia farmer’s market. Owner Hank Whittenberg said on Monday that the attacker jumped onto the back of the van during the confrontation. The employee suffered a black eye after being struck in the face, Whittenberg said, though he added the worker is doing well now.
“It is really more surreal than traumatic,” Whittenberg said on Monday, capturing the disbelief that has lingered since the attack.
Bensalem police recovered the van two days after the theft, but the damage was already extensive. The five-acre farm lost equipment, cash, and most of the fresh harvest. Whittenberg told an area ABC affiliate that the perpetrator made off with the cash box, a supply of honey, and scales. Inside the recovered vehicle, much of the produce had been left to rot.
“The van’s ripped up, equipment was taken,” Whittenberg said, describing the lingering smell of rotting cantaloupes, tomatoes and corn inside the vehicle, which has since been replaced by the smell of chlorine and another scent he described as “mysterious.”
The vehicle damage and missing equipment mean it could be several weeks before the van returns to service, he said.
The costly setback prompted supporters to encourage Whittenberg to launch a GoFundMe, and the community response came swiftly. As of Monday, the fundraiser had crossed the $11,000 mark.
“We’re stunned with the response and just overwhelmed,” Whittenberg said. “It really lets me know how much Philadelphia really stands behind us. It’s really remarkable.”
In the viral moment that drew widespread attention, a barefoot man wearing scrubs allegedly approached the Hayday Farms employee at a stoplight, struck him in the face, and drove off with the van packed with freshly harvested produce bound for market. The brazen nature of the daylight attack—combining medical attire, no shoes, and violence against a small-scale food producer—struck a chord with locals already familiar with the farm’s market presence.
Whittenberg said the GoFundMe success has demonstrated the deep connection between urban consumers and the regional growers who supply them.