Truck driver in Madison County crash that killed Gahanna graduate released without bond

LONDON, Ohio (WCMH) — A semi-truck driver charged in a Madison County fatal crash that killed a Gahanna graduate last weekend appeared in court Friday morning. Bekhzod Asrarov, 42, was released from jail, without bond, during an arraignment hearing in Madison County court. State prosecutors did not object after defense counsel noted that Asrarov, 42, was in the country legally, maintained residence in Maineville, Ohio in Warren County, has no prior criminal record in the United States or in his native home of Uzbekistan, and has a “flawless” driving record. The prosecution did note that additional charges could be added to the case, pending a full report in the aftermath of a fatal crash that occurred on Interstate 71 in Madison County. Asrarov will be required to wear an ankle monitor with future court dates yet to be determined. Defense counsel waived the right to a preliminary hearing and the case will be bound over for grand jury consideration. The Madison County Sheriff's Office reported that Asrarov was heading south, just beyond the Mount Sterling exit, while operating a 2020 Freightliner Cascadia when he struck the back of a gray 2025 Honda Accord. The impact caused the Honda to charge through the median cable barrier before coming to a stop in the northbound lanes. Arriving medics pronounced 21-year-old Tobias Forsythe dead at the scene. A Madison County deputy reported that Asrarov allegedly ripped off the truck’s dash cam before authorities arrived. The deputy confiscated five total devices, including three cell phones, a tablet and the dash cam, which reportedly in Asrarov’s pocket. The incident report noted that Asrarov, who presented a valid Ohio CDL license, requested an attorney using Google Translate, and he was arrested on one count of falsification. Forsythe, a Gahanna graduate and college soccer goalkeeper, had just transferred to UMass Lowell, which has yet to begin its fall season. Forsythe spent one season at Shawnee State and compiled a 7-5-5 record, allowing 1.38 goals per game, including two shutouts. He also spent two seasons at Ashland University, playing with the reserve team. The crash gained national attention after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed his frustration with the crash on social media. “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 on X. State Senator Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) also released a statement, reading in part, “This news of a non-English speaking CDL driver hitting and killing an Ohio citizen is alarming to hear, that someone driving a semi-truck cannot understand or effectively communicate in English.”