Rockville Volunteer Fire Lieutenant, FBI Agent Killed On I-270

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Two off-duty law enforcement officers, a lieutenant with the Rockville volunteer fire department and an FBI agent, were killed on I-270 in Montgomery County Friday night after being struck by a vehicle, Maryland State Police said.

According to police, the FBI agent's vehicle was involved in a single-car crash and the Rockville firefighter stopped at the scene of the crash for help, and used his car to block the damaged vehicle from traffic.

The two officers were standing in the shoulder when a car going southbound swerved to avoid the cars in the fast lane and struck them, police said. The two men were thrown over the road partition and at least one of them was hit by a car going northbound, police said.

The Rockville Volunteer Fire Department identified the lieutenant killed as 33-year-old Lt. Sander Cohen, who died at the scene. The RVFD said it was Cohen who had stopped to assist a motorist involved in a crash. Cohen joined the RVFD in 2003 and was also a deputy fire marshal with the Office of the State Fire Marshal, an agency of the Maryland Department of State Police.

“Deputy Chief Cohen had no idea who was inside the vehicle he stopped behind,” Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel William Pallozzi said in a news release. “He just recognized that someone needed help and he never hesitated last night to stop and help someone in need. Deputy Chief State Fire Marshal Sander Cohen has now joined the ranks of Maryland’s Fallen Heroes.”

Cohen grew up in Rockville and was a graduate of Winston Churchill High School.

"He will be sorely missed by his many friends within the fire/rescue and law enforcement communities," the RVFD said.

The FBI agent killed in the crash was identified by the agency as Supervisory Special Agent Carlos Wolff, 36, who was taken to Suburban Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of FBI Supervisory Special Agent Carlos Wolff, who passed away last night after being involved in a motor vehicle accident," the FBI Washington Field Office said in a tweet. "Please keep SSA Wolff and his family in your thoughts and prayers."

The crash investigation is preliminary but police say alcohol does not appear to be a factor. The driver and two passengers in the car that struck the officers were also taken to local hospitals.

The driver of the southbound 2000 Honda Accord that struck the two men is identified as Roberto A. Garza Palacios, 28, of Germantown, according to police. Passengers in his vehicle are Mirelia Y. Barcena Mormontoy, 23, of Germantown and Ada G. Sandoval Cortez, 32, of Clarksburg. All three were taken to area hospitals.

State police say the driver of a northbound 2017 Acura ILX who hit at least one of the victims is identified as Brittany A. Waters, 32, of Clarksburg. She did not report being injured.

The cause of the initial crash involving Special Agent Wolff’s vehicle remains under investigation, officials said. Evidence indicates that for reasons unknown at this time, the vehicle struck the concrete barrier on the left side of the highway and became disabled in the fast lane.

There is no preliminary indication of alcohol involvement in the crashes. The causes of all the crashes remain under investigation by the Maryland State Police Crash Team.

No charges have been filed at this time. Upon completion of the investigation, it will be presented to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for review.

The crash happened around 10 p.m. on southbound I-270 north of Gude Drive. The highway was closed until about 6 a.m. Saturday but all lanes have since reopened.

Cohen had been a member of the Office of the State Fire Marshal for nine years. In January he was appointed regional commander of the Northern Regional Office, responsible for supervising fire investigations in Carroll, Harford, and Cecil counties.

“Deputy Chief State Fire Marshal Sander Cohen was an exemplary investigator and leader who took great pride in his law enforcement career and who devoted himself to protecting and serving the citizens of Maryland,” Maryland State Fire Marshal Brian Geraci said in a statement. “Sander will be missed by all those who had the pleasure of knowing him. We will forever keep the Cohen family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Patch will update this breaking news report.

Photo via Pete Piringer, @mcfrsPIO