The University of Massachusetts Lowell is mourning the loss of beloved men’s soccer goalkeeper Tobias “Toby” Forsythe.
Forsythe died in a car accident on Sunday, July 5, in his home state of Ohio. He was 21 years old.
“Our entire athletics department is heartbroken by Toby’s passing,” said Director of Athletics Lynn Coutts.
“Although Toby’s time as a River Hawk was cut far too short, he left a meaningful impact and will always be remembered as a cherished member of our UMass Lowell family.”
Forsythe joined the River Hawks for the 2026 spring season. Before transferring to UMass Lowell, he played two seasons at Ashland University and started all 17 games during the 2025 season at Shawnee State.
He was an economics major in UMass Lowell’s College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
“Today, our River Hawk team is grieving the loss of one of our own,” said Head Coach Kyle Zenoni.
“Toby was everything you hope for in a student-athlete and an even better person. He was humble, honest, selfless and the definition of hard work. Every single day, he showed up ready to compete, improve and do whatever was asked of him. He never looked for shortcuts and never expected anything to be given to him – he simply wanted the opportunity to earn it.”
Counseling services are being made available to members of the university community. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
In a post, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a massive semi-truck driven by Bekhzod Asrarov rammed the back of Forsythe’s car on I-71 in Madison County, Ohio.
Duffy said that at the crash scene, the truck driver ripped out his dash cam and hid it in his pocket. He failed his English language proficiency test, according to Duffy, and state troopers had to use Google Translate to talk to him.
“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. I am praying for Toby’s family and loved ones after this horrible loss. We will never stop fighting to keep these dangerous truck drivers OFF THE ROAD so no other parents have to endure this unimaginable grief,” he said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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