UNION COUNTY, N.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – A man is dead after deputies with the Union County Sheriff’s Office said a vehicle fell on him, killing him while he was trying to steal a catalytic converter.
The incident happened around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, at a home in the 3900 block of West Unionville Indian Trail Road.
The sheriff’s office said once at the scene, deputies found a man deceased underneath a Toyota Prius sedan in the driveway of the home.
Detectives found evidence that indicates the man was in the process of cutting off and stealing the catalytic converter belonging to the Toyota Prius prior to his death.
The findings at the scene indicate that at some point during the cutting of the exhaust pipe, the vehicle fell off of the automotive jack and on top of the man. The man was not a resident of the home where he was located, the sheriff’s office said.
“The UCSO hopes that the distribution of this information will highlight the dangers associated with the theft of motor vehicle parts and will serve to discourage anyone actively involved in this type of criminal activity. A catalytic converter and the small amount of scrap value it holds is not worth the risk of losing your life. The identity of the male will not be released at this time due to the ongoing investigation being conducted,” the Union County Sheriff’s Office said in a written statement.
