A former Trump administration official is criticizing the Biden administration's immigration policies following a fatal car crash in Ohio that killed a college soccer player. Sean Duffy, who served as Trump's transport secretary, alleged that the truck driver involved in the incident, Bekhzod Asrarov, 42, of Uzbekistan, could not speak English and had tampered with evidence.
Tobias Forsythe, 21, a goalkeeper for the UMass Lowell soccer team, died early Sunday morning when his vehicle was struck by a semi-truck on Interstate 71 in Madison County, Ohio. The collision occurred around 1:30 a.m. Asrarov is facing a felony charge of tampering with evidence.
Duffy stated on social media that Asrarov failed an English language proficiency test, requiring state troopers to use a translator app to communicate with him. He also claimed that Asrarov ripped out the dash camera from his truck at the scene and hid it. According to reports, Asrarov was admitted to the United States in 2024 through a diversity lottery program under the Biden administration and holds a commercial driver's license from Ohio. He also reportedly attempted to destroy his phones and logging device after the crash.
"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, adding prayers for Forsythe's family and a commitment to advocating for stricter controls on truck drivers.
Forsythe, an economics major, was pronounced dead at the crash site. UMass Lowell's director of athletics, Lynn Coutts, described the school as "heartbroken" by the loss, remembering Forsythe as a valued member of their athletic community. Men's soccer coach Kyle Zenoni added that Forsythe was a dedicated and selfless student-athlete.
Forsythe had previously played for Ashland University and Shawnee State before joining UMass Lowell for the 2026 spring season. The crash remains under investigation.