A longtime UPS worker who spent virtually his entire adult life with the company was killed at a Missouri facility just 13 days before he was scheduled to retire after a 44-year career.
Paul Roberts, 63, of St. Charles, Missouri, was struck by a vehicle around 9 p.m. on September 4 at the UPS Customer Care Center in Earth City, where he worked. Roberts died at the scene. Police said the driver remained there and is cooperating with the investigation.
Roberts began working for UPS when he was 18 and held a variety of jobs over the decades, from handling packages to driving tractor-trailers. His sister, Donna Schraer, told local media that he loved his job, took his work seriously and helped train younger employees. He was preparing to retire on September 17.
His retirement was expected to begin a new chapter in his personal life as well. Roberts had been with his longtime partner, Barb, for 37 years, and the couple married just six months before his death. He leaves behind his wife, children, grandchildren and other family members and friends.
Questions about workplace safety have emerged as authorities investigate the collision. Multiple UPS employees have raised concerns about dark conditions at the facility on the night Roberts was killed, as well as other safety concerns. UPS has said employee safety is a daily priority and pointed to its extensive safety training. Teamsters Local 688, which represented Roberts, said it is awaiting the results of the investigation and emphasized the importance of workplace safety.
The Readovia Lens
The circumstances surrounding Roberts’ death are especially painful because the future he had worked decades to reach was finally just days away. As investigators determine what happened that night, his death is also a reminder that workplace safety remains consequential through every shift of a career — including the very last one.
