In a dramatic turn of events on a Memphis interstate, 27-year-old inmate Elijah Jenkins briefly escaped custody after breaking out of a Shelby County Corrections Center van, only to be struck by a vehicle on Interstate 40. The incident occurred yesterday, as confirmed by the Shelby County Sheriff's Department, which stated that the inmate broke a window of the transport van around 12:30 p.m. near Danny Thomas Boulevard while being taken back to the facility, as reported by WREG.
After his daring escape, Jenkins was found approximately 20 minutes later, suffering on I-40 between Jackson Avenue and Faxon Avenue. He had been struck by an unidentified vehicle that subsequently fled the scene, according to an account by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, as noted by Action News 5. The inmate was critically injured and was quickly taken to Regional One Health for medical attention as the authorities began investigating the hit-and-run incident.
The circumstances under which Jenkins was able to break the van window and the nature of the transport operation remain unclear; the local law enforcement officials have not yet released detailed information about the security measures in place at the time of the escape. However, what is clear is the gravity of Jenkins's condition following the ordeal – a man who in a desperate grasp for freedom met the unforgiving concrete of the road and the cold anonymity of a hit-and-run driver.
As of now, the search for the driver involved in the incident is ongoing, with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office actively seeking information and urging witnesses to come forward to aid in bringing the unknown driver to justice, according to FOX13 Memphis.
