‘We are heartbroken’: UMass Lowell mourns soccer player killed in Ohio crash

Officials at the University of Massachusetts Lowell are mourning the death of a star soccer player who was killed Sunday when his car was hit by a truck in Madison County, Ohio.

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Tobias Forsythe, 21, of Gahanna, Ohio, was driving on Interstate 71 at approximately 1:34 a.m. when he was hit by a semi-truck driven by Bekhzod Asrarov, 42, of Maineville, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said in a statement.

Forsythe, who was a goalkeeper for the UMass Lowell River Hawks, was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

“Toby was everything you hope for in a student-athlete and an even better person,” said the university’s head men’s soccer coach, Kyle Zenoni. “He was humble, honest, selfless, and the definition of hard work.”

“Our entire athletics department is heartbroken by Toby’s passing,” said the school’s athletics director, Lynn Coutts. “Although Toby’s time as a River Hawk was cut far too short, he left a meaningful impact and will always be remembered as a cherished member of our UMass Lowell family.”

Forsythe was pursuing a degree in economics, the university said.

“We will forever be grateful that Toby was part of our River Hawk family and we will honor his memory by carrying forward the example he set,” Zenoni said.

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Asrarov was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, officials said.

The drivers were the sole occupants of their respective vehicles.

According to a Facebook post from US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Asrarov allegedly ripped out his dashcam and hid it in his pocket at the scene of the crash. Asrarov had failed his English language proficiency test and state troopers had to use Google Translate to talk to him, Duffy said.

“We cannot let truckers like Asrarov, who can’t read our road signs or speak to law enforcement, drive 80,000-pound rigs on America’s highways,” Duffy wrote. “We will never stop fighting to keep these dangerous truck drivers OFF THE ROAD so no other parents have to endure this unimaginable grief.”

Asrarov has been charged with tampering with evidence, a felony, and was held in jail over the past week, according to a criminal complaint.

As of Friday morning, he was ordered to be released on bond while he waits to have his case heard.

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