Sidney Wolf, a former senior policy adviser for Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), was struck and killed by a car Sunday after a Lyft driver forced him to exit the vehicle, according to police.
The 43-year-old father of two was riding with a group of five friends on Coastal Highway in Delaware in the early hours of Sunday morning, Fox 5 reported. Wolf and his friends were told to get out of the Lyft vehicle in the middle of the highway before he was fatally struck by another car.
“This is an extremely difficult time for our family,” the Wolf family wrote in a statement to Fox 5. “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.”
According to police, a disagreement arose between the Lyft driver and the passengers. The driver then stopped in the left lane and forced the passengers to exit the vehicle, according to a police report. Wolf was hit when a Toyota Corolla switched lanes to avoid hitting the Lyft vehicle but did not see Wolf standing in the road. Wolf died on the scene, and the other passengers were unharmed.
The driver of the Toyota pulled over, but according to detectives, the Lyft driver fled the scene in what is believed to be a white Honda Pilot and has yet to be identified by authorities.
A Lyft spokesperson told Fox 5 that the company was “heartbroken” by Wolf’s tragic death. “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,” Lyft said in a statement.
A GoFundMe set up Monday for Wolf’s family described the former governor’s adviser as a great husband, father, friend, and neighbor. The fundraiser quickly reached over $50,000.