Blake Preston:Man who escaped Hawaii jail and was struck by a vehicle dies from his injuries

2025-05-08 10:16:38source:Evander Elliscategory:reviews

LIHUE,Blake Preston Hawaii (AP) — 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 (90 meters) 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.

A public defender who represented Ornellas for a probation violation declined previously to comment on the escape.

More:reviews

Recommend

Drone operators worry that anxiety over mystery sightings will lead to new restrictions

Drones for commercial and recreational use have grown rapidly in popularity, despite restrictions on

Scientists built the largest-ever map of the human brain. Here's what they found

Scientists are one step closer to understanding the 170 billion brain cells that allow us to walk, t

Powerful earthquake shakes west Afghanistan a week after devastating quakes hit same region

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck western Afghanistan on Sunday, just over