BILLERICA — Tragedy rocked the Billerica Police Department on Friday when Sgt. Ian Taylor, 49, a member of the department since 2011, suffered fatal injuries while working on a road construction site on Boston Road.

Authorities said preliminary information suggests Taylor was injured at about 2 p.m. when he was struck by an excavator that was backing up at the site. He was transported to the Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, where he later died.

At about 7:30 p.m., a press conference about the incident was held near Lahey Hospital. As members of the press waited, a procession of Billerica Police cruisers, with their blues flashing, traveled past the hospital.

Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Marian Ryan and Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost briefly addressed members of the press. As they spoke, members of the Billerica Police Department and other first responders stood at attention behind them.

“We’re all very emotional, it’s been a long day,” Frost said.

Frost noted Taylor was a 21-year veteran of law enforcement, having served as an officer prior to joining the Billerica Police Department in 2011.

“Every single one of the officers who worked with Ian loved him, loved him like a brother,” said Frost, who described Taylor, a married father of two, as “an unbelievable officer and detective.”

Taylor was assigned to a federal drug task force for a period of time. More recently he was assigned to the Billerica Substance Abuse Prevention Committee where Frost said he would venture out into the community to meet with and find ways to help people battling addiction.

“This is what defines this man,” Frost said. “He did it all the time, and he did it passionately. He loved helping people in this community.”

“Everyone is devastated,” the chief continued. “We are going to miss Ian, but 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.”

Ryan provided additional insight into the details of the accident, noting Taylor was involved with directing a tractor trailer in a small area around the construction site.

“In the process of doing that, there was an excavator that was moving pieces of equipment at the site, and tragically Sgt. Taylor was struck by that excavator,” Ryan said.

The excavator had the name for a general contractor from Salem, “N. Granese & Sons,” emblazoned on it. Members of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, along with members of law enforcement, could be seen talking to the workers on the site during the course of the on-scene investigation.

Ryan said the investigation into what exactly happened is in “its very early stages.” She added everyone involved has been “fully cooperative.”

“The days and weeks ahead we’ll have a determination with more specificity of what took place,” Ryan said.

The investigation is being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the Billerica Police and State Police detectives assigned to the DA’s Office. An investigation will also be conducted by OSHA.

A resident of the Parlmont Park Apartments, located near the accident, said the construction has been ongoing along that stretch of Boston Road for at least a month. Traffic has been a hassle in the area as a result, the woman said.

“I used to drive up that way, but I’ve been staying away from it, because it narrows the road,” she said.

Follow Aaron Curtis on X, formerly known as Twitter, @aselahcurtis