Hawaii Inmate Dies After Being Struck by Vehicle Following Jail Escape

Matthew J. Ornellas Jr., who escaped from Kauai Community Correctional Center, succumbed to injuries from a hit-and-run incident.

33-year-old Matthew J. Ornellas Jr. died less than a week after escaping from Kauai Community Correctional Center and being struck by a vehicle.
Ornellas, serving time for a drug conviction, scaled the prison's fence and was hit while fleeing on Kuhio Highway.
The escapee was found about 100 yards from the prison, seriously injured, and later died in the hospital.
Authorities continue to search for the unidentified driver involved in the hit-and-run incident.
Ornellas was a minimum-security inmate; the incident is under further investigation by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.