Firefighter Killed In Crash Honored At Fallen Heroes Ceremony

PIKESVILLE, MD — The Rockville volunteer firefighter who was killed on I-270 in December 2017 will be honored at the annual Maryland State Police Fallen Heroes Ceremony Friday.

Deputy Chief State Fire Marshal Sander Cohen will be honored along with 43 state troopers who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in Maryland, and two troopers killed while on active military duty in World War II.

Cohen will be honored during the unveiling of a new memorial honoring members of the Office of the State Fire Marshal killed in the line of duty, a Maryland State Police press release said.

Cohen, 33, was killed at about 10 p.m. Dec. 8, 2017 while helping FBI Agent Carlos Wolff, 36, of Gaithersburg.

According to police, Wolff's vehicle was involved in a single-car crash and Cohen stopped at the scene of the crash for help, and used his car to block the damaged vehicle from traffic. Cohen was off-duty, police said.

Cohen "immediately called the Maryland State Police Rockville Barrack for assistance and blocked the damaged vehicle with his own, while activating his emergency flashers in an attempt to safeguard the scene," Maryland State Police said.

The two officers were standing in the shoulder when a driver struck them, Maryland State Police said.

Cohen died on the scene; Wolff was taken to Suburban Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

See Related:

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

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. He grew up in Rockville, was a graduate of Winston Churchill High School and started volunteering at the fire department at age 16.

"Deputy Chief Cohen had no idea who was inside the vehicle he stopped behind," Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel William Pallozzi said at the time of the accident. "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."

Speakers will include Governor Hogan, Colonel William Pallozzi, State Fire Marshal Brian Geraci and more. The event will take place at the Maryland State Police Headquarters in Pikesville at 11 a.m. Friday, May 11.

In addition to the families of Fallen Heroes, the event will be attended by current and retired state troopers and deputy state fire marshals.

Photo of Cohen via Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal/photo of memorial via Maryland State Police