Algosensey-Man who escaped Hawaii jail and was struck by a vehicle dies from his injuries

2025-05-06 06:27:01source:Strategel Wealth Societycategory:Contact

LIHUE,Algosensey 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:Contact

Recommend

11 highlights from Trump's Time Person of the Year interview

Washington — President-elect Donald Trump was namedTime magazine's Person of the Year on Thursday, t

Insider Q&A: Trust and safety exec talks about AI and content moderation

Alex Popken was a longtime trust and safety executive at Twitter focusing on content moderation befo

Yale student demonstrators arrested amid pro-Palestinian protest

Protesters demanding Yale University divest from military manufacturers and expressing "solidarity w