A UPS driver from Longview suffered heat-related symptoms and fainted at the wheel Friday while en route to the McKinney building, according to a Facebook post from the workers union.
The union, Teamsters Local Union 767, said the crash happened on Texas 121, north of McKinney. The driver was transported to a hospital, where he received medical care and was released on Saturday, the post says. A nearby driver recorded the truck as it lost control.
According to the social media post, the driver, who had called for assistance due to escalating health issues linked to extreme heat, was met with lack of support from the company.
The video of the incident sparked outrage among the community and fellow employees on social media. It was the third incident at the McKinney location alone.
In August 2023, McKinney UPS worker Chris Begley, died due to heat-related health issues, according to company and local union officials. Dave Reeves, the president of the union said the 57-year-old collapsed at a customer’s location. Begley was hospitalized days later, then died later that day. In June 2023, Eugene Gates Jr. collapsed while on his way to Dallas.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined UPS $15,625 after the June death last year, saying the company did not offer a place for employment “free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees, in that employees were not protected from the hazard of high ambient heat while performing jobs duties.”
UPS did not immediately respond to a request for an interview from The Dallas Morning News.