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An overwhelmed Amazon driver simply couldn't take it anymore and abandoned 80 packages along a Massachusetts highway during the holiday shipping rush because he was “stressed,” authorities reported.
A Lakeville police sergeant discovered the packages on the road and in the woods before dawn last Sunday, just days before Christmas, which was captured by his body camera.
There were “three large bags full of Amazon packages that were scattered several feet in the woods,” according to a statement from Lakeville police, who returned the deliveries to the local Amazon distribution center. The driver who dumped the packages, who was not identified by police, showed up at the police station with an explanation the day after the packages were found.
The driver said they intended to report the incident to Amazon. Police have no plans to file charges.
“I am proud of the way our Lakeville police officers handled and investigated this matter. At this time, we are not seeking criminal charges and consider this a human resources matter for Amazon,” said Chief Matthew Perkins.
“Sergeant. “Robert probably saved a lot of local residents a Christmas headache by noticing these bags and returning them to Amazon, hopefully in time for a Christmas delivery,” he added.
Other technical issues were in jeopardy this holiday season when Amazon workers represented by the Teamsters staged a surprise strike over an impasse with the company in contract negotiations involving higher wages, better benefits and safer working conditions.
Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien told Amazon customers in a statement on X that the shipping delays could have been avoided if Amazon had negotiated with them.
“If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon's insatiable greed. We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. “They ignored it,” he wrote.
Amazon insisted its operations would not be affected by the strike. The Teamsters represent about 7,000 Amazon workers, but that number represents just 1 percent of Amazon's total workforce.
The strike began last Thursday in Queens, and was joined by workers from facilities in Illinois, Atlanta, San Francisco, Victorville and the City of Industry in California.
