BURGETTSTOWN, Pa. (AP) - The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating the death of a contractor who was placing guardrails along a southwestern Pennsylvania highway.

Washington County Coroner Tim Warco says 43-year-old Legrant Blackwell, of Connellsville, was killed Thursday when a company vehicle backed up over him.

State police say Blackwell was in the vehicle's "blind spot" when the other worker ran over him along U.S. Route 22 in Hanover Township about 3:20 p.m.

Doug Riley, safety director of Green Acres Contracting Co. said of Blackwell, "We lost a really great guy and he was a friend, first and foremost."

The company was hired by PennDOT to replace the guardrails along the highway that had been damaged in a vehicle accident.

Although OSHA and the company are continuing to investigate Riley says, "Everything points to it having been just an accident."