An inmate in Hawaii who broke out of jail, jumped onto an interstate during his escape, and was hit by a car while fleeing police last week has tragically passed away, authorities confirmed.
Matthew J. Ornellas Jr., 33, managed to escape from the Kauai Community Correctional Center last Friday. However, his escape was short-lived as he became the victim of a serious hit-and-run incident just moments after fleeing the facility. The Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced on Thursday that Ornellas succumbed to the injuries he sustained during the incident.
According to officials at the facility, Ornellas scaled a fence topped with razor wire, prompting correctional officers to give chase. Unfortunately, they lost sight of him, only to hear a loud noise shortly after. Ornellas was discovered on the interstate, approximately 100 yards away from the jail, with severe injuries. He was running in the wrong direction on Kuhio Highway when he was struck by a vehicle, as reported by Kauai police.
Ornellas was serving time for a drug-related conviction, as confirmed by the Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The department is currently conducting an investigation into the escape. Ornellas was classified as a minimum-security inmate at the Kauai Community Correctional Center.
Authorities are still searching for the driver of the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run, who fled the scene before emergency responders arrived.
