A man who tried to steal a catalytic converter died after being crushed under a vehicle./Byrd Setta/Adobe Stock
2023.03.13 Mon posted at 16:30 JST
（ＣＮＮ） In Savannah, Georgia, a man believed to have attempted to steal a catalytic converter from an automobile was crushed to death under a vehicle. police said.
A 32-year-old man was found dead under his car on the 7th of this month, according to a statement by the Chatham County Police Department.
Investigators at the scene said the man was attempting to illegally remove the catalytic converter from his car, and the car body appeared to have fallen on him.
Catalytic converter thefts have skyrocketed nationwide over the past few years, up more than 1,200 percent since 2019, according to the National Insurance and Crime Service.
Catalytic converters are devices that reduce pollutants and toxic gases in exhaust gases, are relatively easy to steal, and contain precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced in November that federal, state and local governments had joined forces to crack down on catalytic converter thieves, dealers and processors, leading to 21 arrests in five states.
According to the Justice Department, some of these precious metals are more expensive per weight than gold and have risen in value in recent years. Catalytic converters can be stolen in less than a minute and can fetch upwards of $1,000 each on the black market.
Police said 39 catalytic converters were stolen in Chatham County last year.