Christopher Begley, 57.Photo:GoFundMe
GoFundMe
A longtime UPS driver died earlier this week afterfalling ill amid a brutal heatwavein North Texas, the company and a union leader said.
Begley, who collapsed outside a customer’s location on Wednesday, was hospitalized on Sunday and died Monday, Dave Reeves, president of the Teamsters Local Union 767, which represents UPS drivers, toldThe Dallas Morning News.
The 57-year-old was met at his location after he reported his condition, UPS said in their statement. They “ensured he had water and was resting in a cool environment.” They went on to allege he declined medical attention “multiple times” and asked to be taken home.
“We are cooperating with the authorities as they continue to investigate the cause of death,” UPS said in their statement. “We train our people to recognize the symptoms of heat stress, and we respond immediately to any request for help.”
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After requesting a few days off, UPS said they later learned that Begley had been hospitalized on Sunday and died on Monday.
An autopsy will determine his cause of death, according to Fox affiliateKDFW.
Reeves did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
His death comes nearly a month after UPS reached an agreement with the Teamsters Union that would compel the company to improve working conditions for drivers, such as installing air conditioning in delivery vans,CBS Newsnoted.
A message on aGoFundMe pagesaid Begley was “a father of two and a loving husband” and that he was “looking forward to retirement.”
He “started delivering packages for UPS in 1995,” the message continued, noting that according to his family, he “hoped to retire in the next few years.”
As of Thursday, the page has raised nearly $1,000.
source: people.com
