Photo: Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
An escaped inmate died after he was hit by a car. The Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said that 33-year-old Matthew J. Ornellas Jr. escaped from Kauai Community Correctional Center last Friday (March 22) by scaling a razor wire fence.
Officers gave chase to Ornellas but lost sight of him. A short while later, they found him with severe injuries in a ditch on the side of a highway about 100 yards from the prison. Police said he was struck by a car and was rushed to the hospital in serious condition. On Thursday, authorities said that Ornellas succumbed to his injuries and passed away.
Officials said they are still looking for the driver who fled the scene after hitting Ornellas. They saw the vehicle doing a U-turn on the highway and speeding away but could not identify the car.
Ornellas was serving time at the minimum security facility for a drug conviction.
The Department of Corrections said they are investigating how Ornellas managed to escape the prison.