KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CNN/WDAF) — A man in Missouri died after a car reportedly fell on top of him.

Authorities say it happened while he was trying to steal a part from the car.

Police are still investigating what happened in this lot near 7th and Baltimore this morning — only confirming that a person was killed under a car.

We know it involved a Toyota Prius.

The owner — who did not want to go on camera — tells Fox4 he was at work when he learned his car had crushed a man, who was trying to steal the vehicle’s catalytic converter.

It’s a device that reduces toxic gases and pollutants from a vehicle’s exhaust system.

“When it comes to catalytic converters being stolen, it’s a common occurrence,” said mechanic James Garten.

Garten is a service advisor at k-c complete auto. He says catalytic converters on Priuses have valuable metals like palladium, rhodium, and platinum. Thieves can make a quick buck off them.

“They take them to different scrap yards, and they will scrap them out,” said Garten. “Nowadays a lot of scrap yards will take catalytic converters, but you have to supply them with titles.”

Replacing the part isn’t cheap.

“You’re looking at $300-$400 and that’s the cheapest I’ve ever seen,” said Garten. “They can go as high as $1600-$2500 pending on the application.”

The owner of the vehicle says a person in another vehicle apparently tried to lift the Prius off the man using a jack — but the man died at the scene.