Texas Mail Carrier Collapses, Dies Amid Sweltering Heat

A North Texas mail carrier died on his route Monday afternoon, and the circumstances are now under federal review, USA Today reports. Emergency crews were called around 2pm to a USPS vehicle on Thornhill Lane in Little Elm, about 40 miles north of Dallas, where firefighters attempted CPR but the worker was pronounced dead, officials said. The Postal Service says it has launched an investigation and is offering counseling to employees at the town's main post office.

The National Rural Letter Carriers' Association identified the carrier as 58-year-old Umeshkumar Thakkar, a part-time rural carrier since 2022. His death comes as North Texas has been sweltering under triple-digit temperatures, though authorities have not said whether heat played a role. (Neighbors, however, tell WFAA Thakkar collapsed while an extreme heat warning was in effect on a "brutal" day.) The union called the loss "another painful reminder" of the conditions faced by carriers and urged workers to stay hydrated, follow heat safety rules, and watch for signs of heat illness. Many older USPS trucks still on the road lack air conditioning, while newer vehicles are being rolled out with it and other safety upgrades. In addition to the ongoing USPS probe, a federal investigation into Thakkar's death will be carried out by OSHA, the Dallas News reports.