A longtime veteran of the Billerica Police Department was killed in a crash while working a construction detail on Friday.
Sgt. Ian Taylor, 49, was working a detail at the intersection of Boston Road at Pollard Street when the crash happened around 2 p.m. He was helping a tractor-trailer move around the busy scene when he was struck by an excavator that was moving equipment at the site, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
Taylor was rushed to Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, but he did not survive.
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Ryan said Taylor was a veteran police officer and longtime member of the Billerica Police Department.
Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost said he was proud to have a person like Taylor in his department and that the department and Taylor's family are devastated.
"I want you folks to know that Sgt. Taylor made an impact while he was here. His life had meaning. He’s helped so many people. He’s saved so many people," Frost said.
"I heard someone screaming," said a man who lives near the scene and did not want to be identified. "I heard a truck come to a screeching stop … saw a police officer on the ground."
Residents say there has been ongoing construction on Boston Road for months.
"It's been atrocious," said Lauren Christerson.
People who live in the area say the roadway narrows when construction is taking place, and it's a tight squeeze for drivers, construction crews and the officers working the detail.
"They just have a very difficult job," said resident Marcella Kist. "I think the construction puts them at risk."
"I think there's a lot of safety issues that have to be taken care of," said resident Linda Wicks. "Unfortunately, it's too late for what happened today."
Taylor leaves behind a wife and three children. He has worked as a police officer for 21 years and has been with the Billerica Police Department since 2011.
He was a member of the Substance Abuse Prevention Committee, making weekly visits to speak to those suffering from opiate addiction, trying to find ways to help.
Taylor served in Lawrence prior to joining the Billerica Police Department.
"The Lawrence Police Department mourns the loss of Billerica Sergeant Ian Taylor, who carried on his family's tradition of serving and protecting the residents of Lawrence from 2003 to 2010," the department said in a statement. "Sergeant Taylor comes from a family of service within the Lawrence Police Department; his father, Wayne Taylor is a retired Lawrence Police Officer, and his younger brother, Detective Zach Taylor, currently serves on the Department. The entire Lawrence Police Department extends our condolences to the Taylor family and the Billerica Police Department."
Massachusetts State Police, the Billerica Police Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the incident.
