UPS driver dies after working in North Texas heat

A medical examiner will try to determine if the heat played a role in the death of a North Texas UPS worker. He fell sick on the job last Wednesday and died in the hospital a few days later.

McKINNEY, Texas - An autopsy will determine if the summer heat played a role in the death of a North Texas UPS worker.

Christopher Begley died Monday.

The Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office hasn’t yet determined his official cause of death.

This death comes after UPS workers have complained about things like dehydration and exhaustion working in the Texas heat.

The local Teamsters union representing UPS workers posted a picture of Begley on its Facebook page, saying he had been a package car driver for 28 years and worked out of the UPS hub in McKinney.

A statement from UPS said he reported feeling sick while on the job on Wednesday, August 23. The temperature reached 103 degrees that day. It was the 43rd day of the year at or above 100 degrees.

The company said it responded to his location and made sure he had water. He was offered medical attention but denied it and opted to go home for the day instead.

New details have been released about what kind of physical condition Begley was in when he called a UPS supervisor for help.

A union rep said he had lost his motor skills.

"We know that he did go into his building, one of his customer's location, lie down on the floor because he was simply trying to cool himself off," said David Reeves, who is the president of the Teamster Local 767, which represents local UPS workers.

Reeves believes the supervisor who responded to the scene should have done more.

"When a supervisor comes on scene and we have a driver who is clinging to a concrete floor to try and cool his body, that should throw red flags up to UPS's management and someone in UPS in my opinion needs to make decision to get him immediate medical attention," Reeves said.

Begley requested a few days off, which were granted. UPS said it received word four days later, on Sunday, that he had been hospitalized.

He died the next day.

"What was his final day like? What did he suffer from and what exactly happened to him?" Reeves added.

This incident has no doubt added pressure to the company about protecting employees from the elements.

Those familiar big brown trucks are not air conditioned, though the company just agreed to change that as a stipulation of a contentious contract dispute with the Teamsters.

UPS said it trains its people to recognize the symptoms of heat stress and responds immediately to any requests for help.

It added it is cooperating with the authorities as they continue to investigate Begley’s cause of death.

"At the end of the day, the family is looking for answers from UPS to see exactly what happened to their beloved family member," Reeves said.

The family has retained an attorney as they look for answers.