YARMOUTH – The death of a Billerica police officer is bringing back painful memories of a eerily similar incident in Yarmouth in 2000. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Billerica Chief of Police Roy Frost have confirmed that Sergeant Ian Taylor, 49, of the Billerica Police Department was killed Friday while working at a road construction site on Boston Road in Billerica.
The preliminary information suggests that shortly before 2:00 PM, Sergeant Taylor was struck by an excavator that was backing up on the construction site where he was working. He was transported to Lahey Hospital where he later died. The circumstances of this incident will be investigated by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Billerica Police and Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s Office. An investigation will also be conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Yarmouth Police Department Patrol Officer Bradford Erickson was killed while on traffic detail on December 1, 2000.
At approximately 2:30 PM on December 1st, 2000 Yarmouth Patrol Officer Bradford Erickson, 60, was struck by a fully loaded heavy construction vehicle and transported to Cape Cod Hospital where despite heroic efforts by doctors and nurses, he succumbed to his injuries approximately eight hours later.
Patrol Officer Erickson had served with the Yarmouth Police Department for 28 years and is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Yarmouth Police Headquarters was built in 2001 and the road leading into the facility is named Brad Erickson Way in his memory.
A special plaque and seat is posted in the Yarmouth Police Headquarters Lobby and the Roll Call briefing room in Brad’s honor.
Yarmouth Police Patrol Officer Bradford M. Erickson
End of Watch 12/1/2000
