SPRING HILL (AP) — A striking autoworker in Tennessee has died when a vehicle hit him along a picket line outside a General Motors plant.

Columbia Police Lt. Jeremy Haywood says a vehicle accidentally struck a pedestrian outside the Spring Hill plant just before 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

A statement from United Auto Workers President Gary Jones and Vice President Terry Dittes identifies the worker as Roy McCombs. It says his death is "heartbreaking for UAW Spring Hill members."

The statement says the union is working "to ensure that safety is a priority on the picket line."

Columbia Police and the Tennessee Highway Patrol are investigating.