The Uzbek semi-truck driver accused of causing a crash that killed a college soccer player on Interstate 71 appeared in court Friday, charged with falsification after investigators say he removed his dashcam following the crash — while the case is sparking broader questions about how commercial driver's licenses are issued and whether English proficiency standards are being properly enforced.
Bekhzod Asrarov was released on bond with an ankle monitor. He used an interpreter during Friday's hearing, with his wife and family present in the courtroom. His attorney said he has worked for his trucking company for approximately one year. The company's name has not been made public. Madison County prosecutors said additional charges could be filed once crash reconstruction and toxicology reports are complete.
The crash killed Toby Forsythe, a college soccer player from Gahanna who played for UMass Lowell. His family is preparing for a private funeral next week.
Records obtained by ABC 6 News show Asrarov earned his Ohio CDL in fall 2024. The Department of Homeland Security told ABC 6 he legally entered the United States with a green card in 2024.
The crash has renewed calls for reform of the commercial driver licensing system. Darren Grose, a longtime truck driver and CDL trainer, said the system has serious problems and that Forsythe's death could have been prevented.
"Something's wrong. The system needs changed," Grose said. He described personally witnessing CDL tests being administered to drivers in languages other than English. "I took a driver downtown and there was another driver there that didn't understand the task. 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," he said.
Grose also raised concerns about the driver shortage leading to lowered standards. "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," he said. "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."
Drivers who train through third-party CDL schools in Ohio must still pass Ohio BMV testing including a pre-trip inspection, skills test, road test, and English proficiency test. ABC 6 News asked the Ohio BMV about its English proficiency standards and is awaiting a response.
A U.S. Department of Transportation spokesperson defended recent regulatory changes. "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," the spokesperson said.
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