DEWEY BEACH, Del. — Residents of Montgomery County were shocked and saddened to learn that a man who died after his group was kicked out of a Lyft driver’s car on a Delaware highway Sunday was a well-known member of the community.
Sidney Wolf was active in Montgomery County youth sports and local politics, according to his family, but had previously served in the administration of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The 43-year-old leaves behind a wife and two daughters, according to a GoFundMe page created by friends.
“The level of shock and pain we feel right now cannot be measured,” the family said in a statement.
Delaware State Police said the incident that killed Wolf happened just before 2 a.m. on Sunday when Wolf and five of his friends hired a Lyft to drive them from Dewey Beach back to their residence in Bethany Beach. As the group was heading southbound on Coastal Highway, there was a disagreement between the passengers and the driver, investigators said. The driver terminated the ride and stopped in the middle of the southbound left lane. The driver demanded all six passengers leave his car.
At that same time, a 2016 Toyota Corolla driven by a 27-year-old man was heading southbound on Coastal Highway in the same lane, approaching the stopped Lyft vehicle. As the Corolla's driver changed lanes to avoid the stopped car, he failed to see Wolf who had exited the right rear passenger seat and was standing in the road.
The driver of the Corolla struck Wolf and stayed on the scene of the crash. The Lyft driver, in a white Honda Pilot, took off on Coastal Highway immediately after the crash, police said.
Wolf was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was injured.
According to his family, Wolf was the former associate director of federal affairs in D.C. for former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. He had just started his own consulting firm, and was serving as the campaign manager for Montgomery County Council Member Sidney Katz.
In his spare time, Wolf coached an under-14 youth hockey team in the Montgomery County Youth Hockey Association and was the captain of a team in the Mullet Invitational Hockey League, which plays at the Cabin John rink.
“He’s just a sweet guy,” said Guy Wassertzug, who has played adult hockey with Wolf for 15 years in the D.C. area.
Wassertzug described Wolf as honest, caring, funny, and devoted to his family.
“That’s the kind of person you want to be friends with," Wassertzug said.
A commemorative puck was dropped in Wolf's honor during a game Monday night, Wassertzug said.
In a written statement, a Lyft spokesperson says the company is cooperating with police.
"We have permanently removed the driver from the Lyft community and are in contact with law enforcement to assist with their investigation," the spokesperson said.
The company has not publicly identified the driver.
Delaware State Police have not announced any suspects or arrests.
Troopers are asking anyone who witnessed this collision to please contact Master Corporal Argo by calling 302-703-3264, or contact Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.