Truck driver in fatal I-71 crash bonds out of jail as questions grow over CDL standards

The truck driver accused of causing a crash that killed a college soccer player on Interstate 71 appeared in court for the first time Friday. Bekhzod Asrarov, an Uzbek semi-truck driver , is charged with tampering with evidence and falsification after investigators say he removed the dash camera from his truck after the crash. Madison County prosecutors say more charges could be filed once crash reconstruction and toxicology reports are complete. Asrarov was released on bond with an ankle monitor. He used an interpreter during Friday's hearing with his wife and family in the courtroom. The crash killed Toby Forsythe , raising new questions about how commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) are issued and whether current standards should change. Darren Grose, a longtime truck driver and CDL trainer, believes the system has extensive problems . Something's wrong. The system needs changed," he told ABC 6 Friday. Grose said he has spent years training new commercial drivers and believes Forsythe's death could have been prevented. He said he has personally seen drivers offered CDL tests in languages other than English. "I took a driver downtown and there was another driver there that didn't understand the task," Grose explained. "So, they put it in his language so he could understand it. I understand everyone has to work. But there's certain jobs you can do without speaking English. There are certain jobs you can't do. You have to be able to read signs." Records obtained by ABC 6 News show Asrarov earned his Ohio CDL in the fall of 2024. The Department of Homeland Security told ABC 6 this week he legally entered the United States with a green card in 2024. Drivers who train through third-party CDL schools must still pass Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles testing, including a pre-trip inspection, skills test, road test and an English proficiency test. ABC 6 News asked the Ohio BMV about the standards for its English proficiency test and is awaiting a response. Grose said the trucking industry faces a driver shortage, but believes safety standards should not be lowered. Everything runs by truck and there's a shortage of truck drivers," he explained. "Certain states will put them behind the wheel without a green card, without speaking English, without being a citizen. My trainees got 12 weeks of training and it's not always like that. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Transportation defended recent changes to commercial driver regulations. "Secretary Duffy has spent the last year in office reining in a trucking industry allowed to operate like the Wild West under Biden and Buttigieg. That's why the Department issued a final rule stopping unqualified and unvetted foreign drivers from obtaining licenses to drive commercial trucks and buses. States that operate recklessly and fail to enforce our common sense rules will be held accountable." Grose said he believes more reforms are still needed. "The top [federal government] needs change first," Grose added. "I've been there. The guys I work with have been there. We trained the right way. There's still thousands of drivers out there that shouldn't be behind the wheel. I can't even begin to describe what I see on the road." During Friday's hearing, Asrarov's attorney said he has worked for his trucking company for about a year. The name of that company has not been made public. Meanwhile, Toby Forsythe's family is preparing for his private funeral next week as the investigation into the fatal crash continues. Click this link to support the Forsythe family.