A Senior Policy Advisor for disgraced ex-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was killed in a crash after being kicked out by an angry Lyft driver over the weekend, local media reported.
Sidney Wolf, 43, a grandson of Holocaust survivors who resided with his wife and two children in Gaithersburg, Maryland, reportedly ordered a Lyft Sunday morning to take him and his five friends to Bethany Beach, Delaware, while they were vacationing in nearby Dewey Beach.
The highway incident
The Delaware State Police Department reported that the fatal crash happened after 1:45 a.m. Sunday on Coastal Highway.
According to police reports, the Lyft driver stopped in the middle of the southbound left lane and demanded the group exit the vehicle due to some sort of disagreement.
A Toyota Corolla, also traveling southbound, swerved lanes to avoid hitting the stopped Lyft. But that driver did not see Wolf standing in the roadway, who was reportedly killed at the scene. The other passengers were not injured according to reports.
Investigators said the 27-year-old Toyota driver pulled over but the Lyft driver immediately fled.
A trip meant to be a celebration
“Shocked & saddened to hear this tragic news,” Cuomo, who resigned from office last August and was replaced by Kathy Hochul, tweeted about his former senior policy adviser. “Sid was a phenomenal public servant who worked relentlessly for the betterment of all NY’ers.”
Shocked & saddened to hear this tragic news. Sid was a phenomenal public servant who worked relentlessly for the betterment of all NY’ersMy heart goes out to Lindsey & his two young daughtersGov Cuomo staffer killed after being ordered out of Lyft https://t.co/ODiGaWRez3
— Andrew Cuomo (@andrewcuomo) July 26, 2022
Brooke Freed, one of Wolf's two sisters, wrote in a Facebook post: “I’m f—ing sad and I’m absolutely furious that this happened. Lost one of my favorite people in the world.”
“I’m f—ing sad and I’m absolutely furious that this happened. Lost one of my favorite people in the world.”
Brooke Freed
According to an online obituary, Wolf was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and studied public policy at Syracuse University before starting a career in New York politics.
Most recently, he worked as a campaign manager for Montgomery County councilman Sidney Katz, who won a Democratic primary election a week ago.
Wolf had headed to the Delaware beach towns with friends to celebrate the primary victory over the weekend, local media reported.
HIs funeral was held Wednesday at B'nai Israel Congregation in Rockville, Maryland, where he was a congregant, with internment set to follow Friday at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Cemetery in St. Louis.
A GoFundMe page created for the victim’s wife Lindsey Greenbaum Wolf and two young daughters described him as a "great husband, father, friend and neighbor" to many. "Sid always had a smile on his face," the description reads. The online fundraiser collected more than $69,000 in just one day.