On Sept. 2, an appalling incident on Interstate 40 in Oklahoma City went viral when a video of an inmate hanging out of a moving state prison transport van went viral. The video was made by bystander Tiggin Martin while she and her sister were driving on the interstate.

In the video, the inmate can be seen, only halfway dressed in an orange jumpsuit, facing traffic, waving at oncoming traffic. The rear window of the van appears to be broken or removed and the brake lights of the vehicle light up as the van seems to start to coast to the side of the highway. The video is short and indeed it went viral across social media, which was confirmed to be an actual event by state officials.

Martin told local news outlet KFOR that she thought it was some sort of prank, and her sister Alexis, who was driving, thought the man was going to jump off the van and try to jump onto their car hood. “You’re trying to drive but you’re also trying to figure out what this crazy guy is doing,” she commented.

Corrections Department Response Footage

@lady_trucher_15 #fyp #funny #viral #oklahoma #inmate ♬ original sound – 💰🦋🚛LADY T🚛🦋💰

Ultimately, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) said the van was on its normal route transporting prisoners when he was able to partially vandalize parts of the van and crawl out of the rear of the van. DOC stated its staff recognized the issue immediately, exited the interstate, and called for every response from the necessary agencies.

Officials eventually did find the man, and the transport went on with no further delays or safety issues. They did not release any information on the inmates identity and did not confirm if an investigation was underway.

The DOC said it is committed to being transparent, and officials for public safety; and that the first priority is safety for the inmate and for the public. The incident raised immediate questions about security and safe monitoring of inmates while transporting, especially on fast-moving highways like I-40.

Injuries were not reported at the moment, but it’s unclear if the inmate will face any discipline or law enforcement consequences, if any. The DOC would not say if it would review its transportation policies, following this incident.