Inmate Escapes, Accidentally Hitches Ride With Officer

A jail inmate who escaped from authorities and tried hitchhiking along a highway didn't enjoy freedom for long—the motorist he flagged down was a law enforcement officer. Greenup County Jailer Mike Worthington tells the Independent that 31-year-old Allen Lewis was being transported on Tuesday to face charges in another county when he told the officer his handcuffs were too tight. After the officer pulled over and loosened one handcuff, the two struggled and Lewis got free.

Lewis hoofed it to a nearby highway and tried to flag down passing cars for a ride, but the person who ended up stopping was a campus officer at Morehead State University, per the AP. He had seen the handcuffs hanging off Lewis' wrist. Lewis was promptly taken back to jail and now faces an escape charge. "He thought he was getting a ride, and he did," says Worthington.

(More weird crimes stories.)