Key facts
- Paul Roberts, 63, was fatally struck by a UPS vehicle on September 4 in Earth City, Missouri.
- Roberts was two weeks away from retiring after 44 years with UPS.
- The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the incident.
- UPS stated it invests heavily in safety training for its employees.
- Past incidents at the Earth City site included amputations and heat-related injuries, but not vehicle-related fatalities.
A longtime United Parcel Service (UPS) employee, Paul Roberts, 63, was killed on September 4 when he was struck by a company vehicle while on duty at the UPS customer care center in Earth City, Missouri. Roberts was less than two weeks away from his planned retirement on September 17, after a 44-year career with the company. He had started with UPS as a teenager and most recently worked as a feeder truck driver. The incident has triggered an investigation by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which could take up to six months. Local police stated that the driver of the vehicle cooperated with investigators. Family members told local news outlets that Roberts was looking forward to gardening and collecting his retirement benefits. His sister, Donna Schraer, expressed disbelief that he was so close to retirement. KSDK reported that UPS employees contacted the station with concerns about dark conditions at the site on the night of the accident and ongoing safety issues. In a statement, UPS spokesperson Jim Mayer expressed condolences and highlighted the company's commitment to safety, noting that UPS has invested over $2 billion and 35 million hours in safety training since 2021. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that while OSHA did not list other fatalities at the site, there had been past incidents involving amputations and heat-related injuries. The Teamsters Local 688 union, to which Roberts belonged, called his death a tragedy and reiterated that member safety is a top priority.