A UPS delivery driver died this week after collapsing in the extreme North Texas heat, according to company and local union officials.
Christopher Begley, a United Parcel Service package car driver, was delivering in the Farmersville area Aug. 23, when he notified UPS that he was not feeling well, the company said in a written statement. Dave Reeves, president of the Teamsters Local Union 767 representing UPS drivers, said the 57-year-old had collapsed at a customer’s location Wednesday, was hospitalized Sunday then died later that day.
UPS said it was notified Monday of his death.
“We are saddened by the loss of our driver Christopher Begley and extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends,” UPS said in a statement. “We are cooperating with the authorities as they continue to investigate the cause of death.”
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UPS said after Begley reported his condition, staff responded to his location and ensured he had water and was resting in a cool environment. Begley declined medical attention “multiple times,” the company said, and asked to be taken home.
“We train our people to recognize the symptoms of heat stress, and we respond immediately to any request for help,” the company said.
Reeves said in a phone interview that a UPS supervisor drove Begley away from the location. Reeves said it is unknown if Begley was taken home or to the hospital, and the union is investigating. UPS said he was driven home after telling his management team he had recovered.
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“The family is looking for answers out of UPS to see exactly what happened to their family member on his last day at work,” Reeves said.
UPS said Begley was given the rest of the day off and granted additional days off. He was hospitalized Sunday, according to the company. The cause and manner of his death have not been confirmed.
Begley had been employed by UPS for 28 years, UPS said, and worked out of McKinney. He was a “longtime member” of the local union, Reeves said.
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