Catalytic converter theft is not the only thing that should be watched out for, motorists should also be careful about a hot catalytic converter for this may cause fire once the car is parked in a grassy area.

Just recently, it was reported that a body was found in a burning car in Shawnee County. Later on, it was confirmed that it was Olympic gold medalist Bob Owen.

Officials said that Owen died from heart attack, smoke inhalation and thermal burns. The State Fire Marshall’s office also said, “Owen’s car had been parked running in a field for an extensive period of time.” The reason why Owen was on the area remains unknown to officials.

Investigators later said that the fire may have been accidental and the possible cause may have been the vehicle’s hot catalytic converter coming into contact with the dry grass.

Owen was a former member of the United States hockey team that won a gold medal in the 1960 Winter Olympics. He also taught at Washburn University from 1970 until 1980.

An incident such as this only tells motorists to be extra careful and should be well-informed on the hazards that a catalytic converter brings.

This story is based on the report done by KWCH, a Kansas local news channel.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 9th, 2007 at 10:00 pm and is filed under Another Suspected Catcon-ignited Fire, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.