Maryland man killed after Lyft driver ends ride on Dewey Beach highway: officials

DEWEY BEACH, Del. - The Maryland man killed in a crash after being kicked out of a Lyft ride over the weekend has been identified by police as 43-year-old Sidney Wolf. He was previously a Senior Policy Advisor for former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo according to his LinkedIn page. He lived in Gaithersburg, Maryland with his wife and two children. 

In an emailed statement to FOX 5, the Wolf/Greenbaum family wrote:

"This is an extremely difficult time for our family. The level of shock and pain we feel right now cannot be measured as we continue to grieve.  We truly appreciate the outpouring of love and support we’ve received and kindly request that the family’s privacy is respected as we move through this process."

Delaware State Police Department reported the fatal crash happened after 1:45 a.m. Sunday morning on Coastal Highway (Delaware Rt. 1) near Anchors Way in Dewey Beach.

Wolf and five others hired a Lyft driver to pick them up in Dewey Beach and take them to their residence in nearby Bethany Beach, according to the police report. Along the ride, there was some sort of disagreement between the Lyft driver and the passengers.

Then, police say, the Lyft driver stopped in the middle of the southbound left lane and demanded the group exit the vehicle. A Toyota Corolla, also traveling southbound, moved lanes to avoid hitting the stopped Lyft. But that driver did not see Wolf standing in the roadway.

FOX 5 was told Wolf died on the scene and the other passengers were not injured.

The Toyota driver pulled over. However, detectives say the Lyft driver immediately fled. 

Police have identified the driver, but say they will not release that person's name unless they are charged. At this time, police say no charges have been filed.

Investigators say that the driver has been cooperative with them during the investigation.

A Lyft spokesperson released the following statement to FOX 5:

"We are heartbroken by this incident. Our hearts are with the victim's loved ones during this incredibly difficult time, and we’ve reached out to the ride requester to offer our support. We are in contact with law enforcement and will assist them however we can."

Those close to Wolf are calling what happened a murder. A long-time friend described Wolf as the type of man who, even without children in the league, took the time to coach youth hockey.

A GoFundMe page created for the victim’s family described Wolf as a "great husband, father, friend and neighbor" to many. "Sid always had a smile on his face," the description reads.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Master Corporal Argo at 302-703-3264 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.