Friends remember UMass Lowell student from Gahanna killed in holiday weekend crash

A 21-year-old college soccer player from Gahanna was killed early Saturday morning in a crash on Interstate 71 in Madison County near West Jefferson, and the semi-trailer driver accused of hitting him has now been charged. Tobias Forsythe, known to friends as Toby, was a UMass Lowell student. Police say his Honda was rear-ended by a semi-trailer. Forsythe’s sports performance coach, Ceth Miller, remembered him as someone who was always working to improve. “Great character, he was always funny, always smiling, an amazing work ethic,” Miller said. Miller said he and Forsythe had trained together Thursday. “He showed up smiling and ready to work, we were going to train today, this morning,” Miller said. Miller tells ABC 6 Forsythe was working this summer as a lifeguard at Zoombezi Bay at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium said he was a valued member of the Zoombezi Bay team and it was deeply saddened by the loss. Forsythe graduated in 2023 from Gahanna Lincoln High School and went to Ashland University to be a goalkeeper. Before transferring to UMass Lowell earlier this year, he played with Shawnee State’s men's soccer team after leaving Ashland University. Shawnee State men’s soccer coach Stan Rodrigues said Forsythe made an impact on those around him. “He was super thoughtful, he was an amazing teammate, he was an amazing leader,” Rodrigues said. The semi-trailer driver, 42-year-old Bekhzod Asrarov, is now charged in the crash that killed Forsythe. According to charging documents, the semi-trailer rear-ended Forsythe’s car, drove through a median cable barrier, crossed the median and drove into the northbound lanes of I-71. Asrarov is charged with tampering with evidence and is accused of removing a dashcam from the truck. Troopers say they recovered the equipment after discovering the driver had it in his right pocket. Miller said Forsythe’s death has been difficult to process. “21 years old,” Miller said. “He had so much to live for, yeah, it’s hard to see.”