Georgia man chokes to death while trying to steal catalytic converter: police

A Georgia man was crushed to death by a car when he allegedly tried to steal a catalytic converter from a local auto shop, police confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Matthew Eric Smith, 32, was found dead at around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday after a catalytic converter fell and crushed him at a South Bound Auto Sales store, according to the Chatham County Police Department.

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Auto shop owner Mike Abuharb shared that he found the body of a man when he came to work in the morning.

“I didn’t even get close to him,” Abuharb told WTOC-TV. “I immediately called the police.”

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Police ruled the death an accident, saying that Smith’s death was “the result of an attempted theft of a catalytic converter”.

“Is it worth it? Steal a catalytic converter and sell it for $100,” Abuharb told WTOC. “Losing your life? This is wrong”.

Vehicle owners have to pay thousands of dollars to replace stolen catalytic converter parts. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

A brand new catalytic converter on the floor at Johnny Franklin’s Muffler in San Rafael, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images))

Catalytic converters are part of a vehicle’s exhaust system and control emissions. They have valuable metals like platinum and rhodium that criminals can carve in seconds and sell in landfills.

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Each catalytic converter can fetch upwards of $1,000 on the black market, and the lack of VIN or serial number information makes it hard to trace.