Billerica officer struck and killed by excavator at construction site

A Billerica police officer was killed while serving in a construction detail on Friday, prompting an outpouring of support for the department over the weekend.

Sergeant Detective Ian Taylor, 49, was struck by an excavator that was backing up at the construction site on Boston Road, the Middlesex County DA Marian Ryan and Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost said Friday. 

Ryan said at a press conference Friday that Taylor was directing a tractor trailer around the site when the excavator struck him.

Taylor was transported to Lahey Hospital in Burlington where he died, officials said. The incident is under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the DA and local and state law enforcement said they will also be investigating.

Frost said on Friday that Taylor was a 21-year law enforcement veteran who joined the Billerica department in 2011. He spent time working with a federal drug task force and continued that work in Billerica as a lead member of the Substance Awareness and Prevention Team.

Frost said Taylor leaves behind a loving family including his wife and children. The Greg Hill Foundation started a fundraiser to support the Taylors, heftily surpassing the $5,000 goal. As of Sunday evening, community members had raised more than $23,000.

“Every single one of the officers that work with Ian love him, love him like a brother,” Frost said. “Sergeant Taylor made an impact while he was here. His life had meaning. He’s helped so many people. He’s saved so many people.”

Police held a procession to transport Taylor from the Medical Examiner’s Office in Boston on Sunday afternoon. The procession traveled on 93 North before officers went through Billerica and headed to a funeral home in Methuen. 

Billerica police held a vigil to honor Taylor Sunday night. Members of the public could celebrate Taylor’s life in the courtyard of Billerica Memorial high School starting at 6 p.m.