A college soccer goalkeeper whose journey took him through three programs before landing at UMass Lowell died early Sunday morning after a fatal highway crash in his home state of Ohio.
Tobias "Toby" Forsythe, 21, of Gahanna, Ohio, died on the scene of a crash that occurred just after 1:30 a.m. on Interstate 71 in Madison County, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said in a statement to local outlet WSYX News.
NTD contacted the highway patrol for comment but did not hear back before publication time.
Authorities said a Freightliner driven by Bekhzod Asrarov, 42, was traveling southbound on I-71 at mile marker 82 when it struck Forsythe's 2025 Honda Accord. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the crash.
Off the field, Forsythe was an economics major enrolled in UMass Lowell's College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
UMass Lowell Director of Athletics Lynn Coutts expressed grief on behalf of the entire department on Monday.
"Our entire athletics department is heartbroken by Toby's passing," UMass Lowell Director of Athletics Lynn Coutts said in the announcement. "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."
Men's soccer Head Coach Kyle Zenoni reflected on Forsythe's character and work ethic.
"Toby was everything you hope for in a student-athlete and an even better person," Zenoni said. "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."
According to UMass Lowell Athletics, counseling services are being made available to student-athletes and staff. Funeral arrangements had not been completed as of Monday and will be announced by the Forsythe family at a later date.