17 February 2023 , 19:20
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A driver accidentally hit and killed a man as he was allegedly trying to steal her catalytic converter.
Police in Los Angeles said the man was run over by the woman who had been taking a nap inside her Ford Excursion in a shopping centre car park when the tragedy occurred.
It's believed the man had been trying to saw off the car part from underneath her vehicle - likely to sell as scrap metal - when she reversed and killed him.
LA Sheriff's department said the alleged thief had gotten out of a car with three others inside which pulled up alongside the woman's Ford on Tuesday evening.
Awoken by the noise, the woman turned on her ignition when she felt a "bump" as she reverse, police said.
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Catalytic converter thefts are on the rise (Getty Images/iStockphoto)"The victim woke up from the sound, turned the car on, put the vehicle in reverse, and felt a bump like she ran something over," the department said.
“She stopped immediately, leaving the suspect on the ground after running him over," authorities added.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where medical teams pronounced him dead.
The three other suspects - a man and two women - were meanwhile arrested at the scene.
Catalytic converter thefts have risen in many parts of the world in recent years.
The parts often contain precious metals and be sold for hundreds on the black market.
Latest UK figures show that 28,000 were stolen last year - approximately 75 every day.