Karma struck instantly for a Georgia man after he was crushed while trying to steal a catalytic converter. 32-year-old Matthew Eric Smith was found dead under a car at Southbound Auto Sales in Chatham County. According to police, Smith’s death was the result of an attempted catalytic converter theft.
Catalytic converters are highly sought after by thieves due to their precious metals like platinum, palladium, and rhodium. The metals are so valuable that thefts of catalytic converters have skyrocketed around the nation in recent years. In 2020, 39 catalytic converters were stolen from cars just inside Chatham County alone.
Unfortunately for Smith, his attempt at stealing a catalytic converter ended in tragedy. It appears that he became trapped underneath the car as he was attempting to remove it from the vehicle. He was crushed to death before anyone could come to his aid.
Police Chief Jeff Hadley said the department is highlighting this case to deter others from attempting thefts similar to this alleged one, WSAV reported.
“We normally don’t publicize every death investigation that we go to. Many are natural, it could be an overdose or something like that, but because of the uniqueness of this case. We you know had wanted the public to know one really hopefully as a deterrent for unfortunately anyone had those intentions to go around stealing catalytic converters,” he said, per WSAV.
Some believe that he got what he deserved for attempting such a dangerous crime while others feel sorry for him and his family for having to endure such a tragedy. It is indeed a tragedy when someone loses their life, but we have to make wise decisions.
Regardless of how one feels about Smith’s death, we see just how dangerous catalytic converter theft can be. There are actually catalytic converter security devices
