By Kimberly Predham
Although he was an experienced rider, Suffolk County police said he jumped a curb and crashed into a tree at about 5:20 p.m. He was taken to Brookhaven Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 7 p.m.
Police were still investigating the cause of the accident to which there were no witnesses.
Fellow firefighters at Ladder Co. 151 on Queens Boulevard and 75th Avenue remembered Flores as an almost overzealous firefighter.
“He was a credit to the department,” said Firefighter Fred Altano Tuesday. “For a short-timer, he definitely had enthusiasm.”
Flores, who joined the force in 1998, often carried a combination ax and halligan, known as “irons,” in his car in case someone needed help. The tool is used to pry open doors.
“Even when he was off-duty he was on-duty,” said Altano.
After experiencing the destruction of the World Trade Center firsthand, Flores still remained passionate about his job. He later spent about a month working at Ground Zero and the city awarded him a medal with two stars, the honor bestowed on firefighters who were at the site when the towers fell.
Friends remember him as an outgoing, active man who was always on the move. He lived in East Patchogue with his 33-year-old fiancée, Solange Sanskarsingh, but he was often in College Point visiting his two children, a daughter and a son. And he was forever on his cell phone.
“You'd always hear his Nextel going off,” recalled Paul Kenney, who worked with Flores at Ladder Co. 151. “He probably holds the record for Nextel connections.”
“Cell phones were made for him,” chimed in Andrew Brown, another firefighter who had known Flores for three years and described him a good friend who was always trying to help him.
Flores also spent time fixing up cars and riding his two motorcycles. Kenney said he could just glance at a car and know everything from its make and model to its engine type.
“He was just waiting for spring to come,” said Kenney. “He couldn't wait to get on his bike.”
