A heat-related illness on a hot day in north Texas last week led to a UPS worker’s passing out while driving on the highway and crashing the company vehicle into the woods, the worker’s union said.
Teamsters Local 767, which represents UPS drivers, pos t ed a st atement that included video of the crash and photographs of the damaged vehicle on social media.
It did not identify the driver, who crashed Friday and was released from the hospital the next day.
The worker was sent to a building in McKinney, a city about 35 miles north of Dallas, to drive, according to the union. The worker then experienced “heat related symptoms” and called for assistance. But UPS told the worker to drive himself in, not following its “Recharge guidelines,” the union said.
“This is UNACCEPTABLE. The driver passed out while driving in and was involved in the accident,” the union statement said.
The union said the driver was lucky to be alive.
“The company continues to place packages over people. This is the third incident in the McKinney building alone. Do not trust the company to do the right thing for your health and safety. Reach out to your Stewards, Business Agents, and/or other drivers and let them know what is going on. Never hesitate to call 911,” the union said.
A short video accompanying the statement was recorded from inside a car traveling on a parallel road. It captures the UPS vehicle crashing into a tree in the woods. Photos of the vehicle after the crash shared by the union showed substantial front-end damage.
In a statement Tuesday, the company 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 and defer to them for questions.”
The union representing the UPS worker could not immediately be reached for additional comment.
NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reported the union said it will meet with UPS management this week about the incident. The crash happened on Texas Highway 121 north of McKinney, the station reported.
Henry Huynh, who witnessed and recorded the crash, told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth the driver was visibly unconscious at the wheel.
“When he swerved, he went over the grass median and went onto oncoming traffic,” Huynh said. “And then all of a sudden boom, he hits the tree.”
UPS workers have been publicizing for years the need for heat-related safety protocols. UPS is the world’s largest package delivery company, and its ubiquitous brown vehicles and warehouses are largely without air conditioning, according to a 2022 NBC News article.
In a separate 2019 article, NBC News reported that on a long hot day of deliveries, the temperature in the cargo area of a truck can soar to 140 degrees or more.
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