Texas
North Texas UPS driver crashes after passing out from heat exhaustion, union says
(Source: Teamsters Local 767)
MCKINNEY, Texas – A North Texas UPS driver was sent to the hospital after allegedly passing out while behind the wheel due to the heat and crashing.
Representatives from Teamsters Local 767 say that a delivery driver from Longview was asked to work out of the McKinney building on Friday.
The driver experienced heat-related symptoms while out driving and called for assistance.
The Teamsters Union says the driver was asked to drive himself back to the McKinney building and passed out. The van then left the road and crashed into some trees.
(Source: Teamsters Local 767)
The driver was taken to the hospital and released on Saturday.
“The company continues to place packages over people. This is the third incident in the McKinney building alone,” wrote the Teamsters Union.
Temperatures reached 102 degrees in Dallas-Fort Worth on Friday.
“We are aware of an incident involving our driver in McKinney, TX. We care deeply about his safety and well-being. We are working with authorities to investigate and defer to them for questions,” said UPS in a statement to FOX 4.
UPS also sent information about the company’s investment in heat safety protocols.
The company says they spend more than $409 million on safety training in the US and have added cooling equipment to vehicles and facilities. UPS also noted it has specialized cooling gear and access to ice and water.
Last August, delivery driver Christopher Begley died after a day of working in the heat.
UPS driver dies after working in North Texas heat
A medical examiner will try to determine if the heat played a role in the death of a North Texas UPS worker. He fell sick on the job last Wednesday and died in the hospital a few days later.
FOX 4 has reached out to police for more information on Friday’s crash.