UPS driver passes out, crashes van in heat-related North Texas incident, union says
A UPS driver from Longview crashed his van after passing out due to hot weather, officials with the North Texas chapter of the Teamsters union said in a Facebook post Saturday.
According to the union, the driver was experiencing heat-related symptoms and called in to UPS for assistance, but was asked to drive himself to a facility in McKinney.
“The company continues to place packages over people,” union officials said in the Facebook post. “This is the third incident in the McKinney building alone.”
The driver passed out behind the wheel and crashed into a tree off of Sam Rayburn Tollway in Anna on Friday, according to KDFW.
A bystander filmed video of the accident, telling WFAA-TV that he saw the truck swerve a few times and cross over the median into oncoming traffic before hitting the tree.
The driver was transported to the hospital and released on Saturday, officials with the Anna Police Department said.
Union President David Reeves told WFAA that the driver’s truck did not have air conditioning.
In a statement, UPS said, “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.”
UPS has said it has introduced several strategies aimed at keeping workers safe, including partnerships with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute and a company that makes specialized clothing out of cooling fabric.
According to a statement released in May, the company has equipped thousands of vehicles with fans and other technology intended to cool the inside of delivery vehicles.
“We’re challenging ourselves to continue exploring solutions that can help keep our employees safe —especially on hot days,” the statement reads.
