nbc news correspondent stephanie gosk arrived to cover the story. and your first thought is, how did anyone break out of there? reporter: when law enforcement poured into the search area it became hard simply to move around. this wasn t just a couple of cops walkin down the street, knocking on doors, this was hundreds of law enforcement on the streets, holding positions with automatic weapons, helicopters overhead. everything was extremely difficult. there were roadblocks every half a mile. you would be stopped. you d have to open up your trunk. reporter: just a short distance away from the prison, the escapees would- be getaway driver joyce mitchell was just waking up. but she was nowhere near david sweat and richard matt. instead, she was in a hospital room, coming to under a cloud of doom. what happened? i knew that was the night it was gonna happen. and i didn t really know what to do. reporter: joyce says at the moment of truth, she had been overcome by confusion a