Firefighter plunges to death while responding to Belt Parkway crash

An FDNY firefighter was killed Sunday night while responding to a car crash on the Belt Parkway.

News 12 Staff

Jan 7, 2019, 11:15 AM

Updated 2,159 days ago

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The FDNY is mourning one of its own after a firefighter was killed while responding to a crash on the Belt Parkway Sunday night.
Firefighter Steven Pollard, with Ladder Company 170 in Canarsie, was at the scene of a crash on the parkway just east of the Flatbush Avenue exit around 10 p.m. Investigators say he fell over the Mill Basin Bridge overpass and plunged more than 50 feet.
He was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Pollard came from a family of firefighters. His dad had served for 32 years before his retirement, and his brother has also been with the department for 11 years.
Pollard himself had been on the job for about a year and a half. He had just passed his probationary period to become tenured a few months ago.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro met with Pollard's family after his death.
Pollard was honored at a bunting ceremony at his firehouse Monday evening. His supervisors say he's being remembered as a promising young firefighter who had a bright career ahead of him.