Firefighter falls to his death responding to car crash in Brooklyn

BROOKLYN, New York -- A firefighter fell to his death while responding to a car accident in Brooklyn.

Investigators will return to the section of the Belt Parkway Monday morning to better understand what went wrong.

The FDNY released a photo of 30-year-old Steven Pollard.

The probationary firefighter was responding to a car accident Sunday night on an elevated section of the highway that crosses the Mill Basin.

"The members of 170 had responded in the opposite direction, on the eastbound side, and needed to cross over the roadway to assist the injured motorists," said FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro. "And in the process of crossing over, Steven fell to the ground below."

He crossed the Jersey barrier not knowing there was a roughly three-foot gap between the east and westbound lanes.

Pollard fell more than 50 feet onto hard sand. He was pronounced dead at Kings County Hospital.

Pollard comes from a family of firefighters - his father, Ray Sr. served 31 years in Brooklyn and his brother, Ray Jr. served 11 years in Brooklyn.