CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — Police say a Cumberland County Prison inmate attempted to escape while she was being transported back to the prison after a visit to the hospital.
On Nov. 21, Chontelle Shirk allegedly told officials at the prison that she needed to go to the hospital because she was injured during her Nov. 19 arrest. She was taken to Hershey Medical Center where multiple tests determined she was uninjured, police said.
Shirk, 40, was being taken back to the prison when she managed to remove part of her waist restraint, jumped through the safety partition, and grabbed the steering wheel from the driver while they were traveling at 50 mph, according to the incident report.
She is also accused of striking another guard and attempting to grab the guard's gun.
After Shirk was sprayed with pepper spray, she took some of it from her face and wiped it on one of the guards, police said.
The guards were able to pull the vehicle over and requested help from Swatara Police.
According to officials, one guard suffered multiple bruises on their legs, hands, and the back of their neck.
In addition to the previous charges related to the robbery of a vehicle, Shirk now also faces charges including escape, aggravated assault, and recklessly endangering another person.
