Sid Wolf, former Cuomo staffer, killed on Delaware highway when Lyft driver kicks him out

A 43-year-old former staffer in the New York governor’s office who worked under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Gov. Hochul was fatally struck early Sunday morning while walking along a Delaware highway after getting kicked out by his Lyft driver, according to authorities.

Sid Wolf of Gaithersburg, Md., was riding with friends about 2 a.m. when a disagreement occurred between them and the driver, who stopped the ride and left them standing in the middle of the road in Dewey Beach, Del., said the Delaware State Police.

While the group was standing in the southbound lane, a 27-year-old man driving a Toyota Corolla tried to swerve out of the way of the stopped Lyft and instead hit one of the passengers, who was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. No other passengers were reported injured.

The Corolla driver stopped while the Lyft driver fled the scene, said the state cops. On Monday, the state police identified the passenger as Wolf.

Sidney Wolf and his family.

The St. Louis-born Wolf, who studied public policy at Syracuse University, worked as the associate director of federal affairs in the New York Executive Chamber from July 2019 until December.

The office works with New York’s congressional delegation, lobbying lawmakers on local issues.

Most recently, Wolf worked as a campaign manager for a Montgomery County, Md., councilman, Sidney Katz, who won a Democratic primary election a week ago.

Wolf had headed to Delaware with friends to celebrate the primary victory over the weekend, said Alexander Cochran, a longtime friend and colleague. Cochran, who served as director of federal affairs in Cuomo’s administration, said he knew Wolf for about 20 years.

“Everybody loved him,” Cochran said of Wolf. “He wanted to go get things done, and he was very aggressive in doing it — but not aggressive in the stereotypical New York way.”

Wolf was a ball of energy, with a joking, self-deprecating style and a love of sports, said Cochran. Outside work, Wolf coached youth hockey; at the office, he focused on business issues, showing off a skill for talking with Republicans drawn from his Midwestern roots and moderate sensibilities.

“He wanted to give people a hug,” Cochran said. “He was just good at relating to people wherever they stood.”

Cuomo tweeted that he was “shocked” and “saddened” to hear the news of Wolf’s death, describing him as a “phenomenal public servant.” Cuomo resigned from office last August, and was replaced by Hochul.

On Wednesday morning, a funeral was held for Wolf at the B’nai Israel Congregation in Rockville, Md. Wolf, whose grandparents were Holocaust survivors, was a member of the congregation.

An obituary notice published ahead of the funeral said that “Sid was a people magnet and was the first to welcome you with a hug; his life force was unmistakable and irresistible.”

Wolf is survived by his wife, Lindsey, and their two school-age daughters. A GoFundMe page was set up to support his family.

“Sid always had a smile on his face and was a great husband, father, friend and neighbor to so many of us,” said the page.

Cochran described Wolf as a “big kid” with a spirit that belied his age.

“He was a perfect dad,” Cochran said. “He would just get down on the floor and play with those kids.”