Uzbek driver charged following fatal car accident involving US student

A traffic accident involving an Uzbek driver in Ohio, USA, on July 5 resulted in the death of one person. The collision between a semi-truck and a passenger car left 21-year-old Honda Accord driver Tobias Forsythe dead at the scene.

It is reported that the truck was driven by 42-year-old Uzbekistan citizen Behzod Asrarov. He arrived in the US in 2024 through the Diversity Visa (Green Card) program. Asrarov held the necessary commercial driver's license, but because he did not speak English, he communicated with patrol officers using Google Translate.

So far, Behzod Asrarov has not been charged with causing the death of the 21-year-old. However, he is being investigated on suspicion of attempting to conceal or destroy physical evidence.

According to investigative materials, while inspecting the Freightliner truck, police officers found a dashcam mount in the cabin but noticed the camera itself was missing. After communicating via Google Translate, Asrarov indicated that he had placed the camera in his right pocket.

Following this, he was charged with attempting to conceal or destroy evidence. Three mobile phones and an electronic logbook tablet were also found in his possession. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be filed against him later.

It was reported that the deceased, Tobias Forsythe, worked as a goalkeeper at the University of Massachusetts.

Commenting on the incident, US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy emphasized that drivers who do not understand English should not be allowed to operate heavy trucks in the country.

"We cannot allow drivers who cannot communicate with road signs and law enforcement officers to operate 80,000-pound (approximately 36-ton) vehicles on American highways," the Secretary said.

According to him, additional measures will be taken in the future to remove dangerous drivers from the roads.