A New York Firefighter's Last Ride

February 16, 2004 -- A beloved Queens firefighter was killed in a tragic Valentine's Day motorcycle accident, officials said yesterday.

Juan Flores, 37, was riding his Suzuki motorcycle on Haig Avenue in East Patchogue when the bike jumped the curb and slammed into a tree at about 5:20 p.m. Saturday, Suffolk County police said.

Flores, who was a member of Ladder Co. 151 in Forest Hills, was pronounced dead at Brookhaven Hospital a short time later.

"He was a dedicated, strong, loving and gentle man. This was not his destiny, it shouldn't have ended like this," sobbed his fianc