Thief In North Carolina Crushed To Death After Prius Falls On Top Of Him

A would-be thief in North Carolina attempting to steal a car part was crushed to death after the vehicle he was targeting fell on top of him last week.

The Union County Sheriff's Office responded to a scene at a residence on West Unionville Indian Trail Road around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday (December 8) to conduct a death investigation, according to a post on the department's Facebook page. When they arrived, they found a male deceased underneath a Toyota Prius.

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement found evidence that suggested the male, identified only as a "local resident," was trying to steal the vehicle's catalytic converter when he died, per the Charlotte Observer.

"The findings on scene indicated that at some point during the cutting of the exhaust pipe, the vehicle fell off of the automotive jack and on top of the male subject," the sheriff's office said.

The sheriff's office hopes that by getting the word out about this incident, it will help prevent similar instances in the future.

"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," the post continued. "A catalytic converter and the small amount of scrap value it holds is not worth the risk of losing your life."

As of Tuesday (December 14), no other information, such as the suspect's name or age, has not been released. The investigation remains ongoing.