UPS driver accident in North Texas raises new safety concerns for postal workers in summer heat

A UPS driver has been released from the hospital after he lost consciousness and collapsed due to heat exhaustion, according to his union.

Another driver captured the accident on video, and the incident caught the attention of U.S. postal workers.

A video from last Friday shows the UPS truck driver driving into oncoming traffic on the Sam Rayburn Tollway in Collin County. The driver went off the road and hit a tree.

The union representing the worker said the driver called UPS to report he was not feeling well and was told to drop off his packages with another driver before the end of his shift.

“This cannot continue to happen because the safety of packages is placed above the safety of employees and the public,” said David Reeves, president and chief executive of the Teamsters Local 767 Union.

UPS told FOX 4 it was aware of the incident and was cooperating with police in the investigation. The company also said it was supplying employees with refrigerators, ice, water and other items.

The truck the driver was driving did not have air conditioning.

On Monday morning, the incident also caught the attention of other delivery workers.

Kim Lewis is the local union president for the National Association of Letter Carriers. She says USPS employees were informed about the UPS incident before they began their routes.

“They talked about the incident with the UPS driver and advised many delivery drivers to do everything they can to stay hydrated and drink as much water as possible,” she said.

With triple-digit temperatures expected for several more days in North Texas, Lewis hopes managers will encourage carriers to take additional breaks.

“All mail carriers are entitled to 10-minute breaks,” she said. “One is usually in the office and the other is on the road. That's the reason I said that. They need to take extra breaks to relax.”

Last year, Dallas USPS worker Eugene Gates lost consciousness and died from a heat-related illness. OSHA fined the agency and Congress launched an investigation.

But Lewis hopes OSHA's proposal for mandatory breaks and other heat-related measures will be put into practice. She said morale has been affected.

“It hasn't been very positive. But they're hoping that — as I talked to you about the proposed OSHA rule — that will pass. Make sure it passes so that the postal service is forced to do something to protect a lot of cars. Otherwise, it's not going to happen. They're not going to do it on their own.”

The name of the UPS driver has not been released. It is also unclear if that driver has returned to work.