Current:Home > MarketsInmate escapes Hawaii jail, then dies after being struck by hit-and-run driver-InfoLens
Inmate escapes Hawaii jail, then dies after being struck by hit-and-run driver
View Date:2024-12-23 19:00:06
A man who escaped from a Hawaii jail and was struck by a vehicle soon after died Thursday from his injuries, authorities said. Matthew J. Ornellas Jr. was seriously hurt in a hit-and-run after he fled from Kauai Community Correctional Center just after 1 a.m. last Friday, the Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said.
He scaled a fence with razor wire, and correctional officers gave chase but lost sight of him when he entered a dense brush area, officials said.
Soon afterward they heard a loud sound from the road and found him lying next to Kuhio Highway, about 100 yards away from the jail. An ambulance transported him to a hospital, where he remained in serious condition and in custody. His condition deteriorated and he was pronounced dead Thursday.
Ornellas, 33, was a minimum-security inmate serving time for a drug conviction, officials said.
The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said it is continuing to investigate the escape.
Orenellas was hit as he was running north in the southbound lane of Kuhio Highway, Kauai police said. Police are searching for the driver, who left the scene before first responders arrived.
Kauai police said they "strongly encourages anyone who may have information about this incident to do the right thing and come forward."
The incident marked the fourth traffic fatality on Kauai so far this year, police said.
A public defender who represented Ornellas for a probation violation declined previously to comment on the escape.
In September, CBS News dug into data from 26 states, which showed over 1,100 documented instances of escapes from law enforcement custody over the past five years.
- In:
- Escaped Prisoner
- Hawaii
- Hit-and-Run
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Dallas Long, who won 2 Olympic medals while dominating the shot put in the 1960s, has died at 84
- Erin Andrews Details Lowest Moments From Crappy 10-Year Fertility Journey
- March Madness picks: Our Saturday bracket predictions for 2024 NCAA women's tournament
- Maximize Your Time and Minimize Your Spending With 24 Amazon Deals for People Who Are Always on the Go
- The Daily Money: Inflation is still a thing
- Shop QVC's Free Ship Weekend & Save Big on Keurig, Dyson, Tile Bluetooth Trackers & More
- Rihanna Is a Good Girl Gone Blonde With Epic Pixie Cut Hair Transformation
- How a suspicious package delivered to a Colorado dentist's office sparked a murder investigation
- Demure? Brain rot? Oxford announces shortlist for 2024 Word of the Year: Cast your vote
- Mega Millions jackpot soars $1.1 billion. This one number hasn't won for months in lottery
Ranking
- Nevada Democrats keep legislative control but fall short of veto-proof supermajority
- A family's guide to the total solar eclipse: Kids activities, crafts, podcast parties and more
- The Capital One commercials with Charles Barkley, Samuel L. Jackson and Spike Lee ranked
- Target's new Diane von Furstenberg collection: Fashionistas must act fast to snag items
- Infowars auction could determine whether Alex Jones is kicked off its platforms
- Alabama's Nate Oats pokes fun at Charles Barkley's bracket being busted after Auburn loss
- 2 crew members die during ‘incident’ on Holland America cruise ship
- Arizona expects to be back at the center of election attacks. Its top officials are going on offense
Recommendation
-
Ryan Reynolds Clarifies Taylor Swift’s Role as Godmother to His Kids With Blake Lively
-
Kenya Moore, Madison LeCroy, & Kandi Burruss Use a Scalp Brush That’s $6 During the Amazon Big Sale
-
Here Are the Irresistible Hidden Gems from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale & They’re Up to 83% off
-
2024 Ford Ranger Raptor flexes its off-road muscles in first-drive review
-
Megan Fox Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby With Machine Gun Kelly
-
LSU coach Kim Mulkey lashes out at Washington Post, threatens legal action
-
Barn collapse kills 1 man, injures another in southern Illinois
-
Juries find 2 men guilty of killing a 7-year-old boy in 2015 street shooting