Jason Hughes, 40, a teacher at North Hall High School in Hall County, Ga., and the father of two young boys, died on Friday, March 6
A beloved Georgia teacher was killed in a prom season prank gone wrong — and his family says they want criminal charges dropped against the students who were allegedly involved.
Jason Hughes, 40, of Gainesville, a married father of two and a math teacher and golf coach at North Hall High School in Gainesville, died on Friday, March 6, during a toilet papering prank, according to a news release from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
Hughes’ death comes just days after the school district warned students of past prom season pranks that went “too far.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(947x556:949x558):format(webp)/Jason-Hughes-030826-02-a3c8166ccbb64e4baff3c1c8b21bebc5.jpg)
gofundme
On March 6, five teens in Gainesville, including Jayden Ryan Wallace, 18, “rolled” the trees in Hughes’ yard with toilet paper as part of a senior prank, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
When Hughes came out of his home, the teens got into two different vehicles to flee the scene: Wallace’s pickup truck and another vehicle.
It was raining out, and the teacher was struck by Wallace’s truck when he slipped in the road as the teens were fleeing, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Wallace and the others who were allegedly involved in the prank stopped and administered aid to Hughes until emergency responders arrived at the scene, according to the release. Hughes later died at the hospital.
Wallace and four other teens, Elijah Tate Owens, 18, Aiden Hucks, 18, Ana Katherine Luque, 18, and Ariana Cruz, 18, all of Gainesville, were arrested at the scene.
Wallace is charged with first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving in connection with Hughes’ death, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
He and the four other teens are also charged with criminal trespass and littering on private property.
In the aftermath of Hughes’ death, his family says they would support dropping the charges.
The family told The New York Times “This is a terrible tragedy, and our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy from occurring, ruining the lives of these students.”
“This would be counter to Jason’s lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of these children.”
Wallace and Hughes were close, Matt Williams, a friend of Hughes, told ABC News. “The family wants to make clear that they knew these kids and they loved them and these kids loved the Hughes’s. This was not a malicious act.”
Hughes’ family told ABC News that Hughes knew the students were coming to pull the prank and was excited.
In a statement, the family said, “We are thankful for the outpouring of prayers and support as we grieve the loss of Jason. We ask that you continue to pray for our family and also for the students involved in the accident along with their families. Please join us in extending grace and mercy to them as Christ has done for us.”
A longtime teacher, Hughes was the father of two young boys, according to a GoFundMe.
In a statement obtained by WXIA, a Hall County School District spokesperson described him as a “loving husband” and “devoted father.”
Just days before the fatal March 6 incident, the district warned students about prom pranks included in what it dubbed “Junior/Senior Wars,” stating that some in years past “have gone too far” in a statement addressed to parents and students on Facebook.
“We urge all students to refrain from participating in any activities that may cause harm or destruction to school or personal property.”
The school district went on to warn that “damaging property can lead to criminal charges, not to mention the potential repercussions on your participation in graduation ceremonies and other special events planned for this time of year.”
“We cannot stress enough the importance of making responsible choices and thinking about the long-term impact of your actions,” the district warned.
It is unclear whether the teens have retained attorneys who can speak on their behalf.
News
Breaking: The first v!ctims in the Maldives underwater cave were found at a depth rescuers could barely believe
MALE, Maldives — International cave diving experts have arrived in the Maldives to take over the perilous recovery operation for four missing Italian tourists, a day after a local military rescue diver died attempting to reach them inside a treacherous underwater cave system. Divers prepare to search for the four missing Italian divers near Vaavu […]
Breaking: The search for four Italians inside an underwater cave in the Maldives has been temporarily paused for a special reason
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Authorities in the Maldives have suspended the search for four Italian divers trapped deep inside an underwater cave following the death of a military rescue diver. The five Italians are believed to have died Thursday while exploring a cave system at a depth of about 160 feet (50 meters) in the […]
CCTV Clue: Footage from the time five Maldives tourists vanished has been released, and a mysterious sixth person appears in the frame
An elite squad of divers is in a race against time to recover the final bodies of the five Italians who died in Thursday’s tragic incident in the Maldives — hoping they can reach their remains before the sharks do. Only the body of the doomed group’s diving instructor has been found so far — […]
Oakland Tragedy: The identities of three people k!lled after a car pl0wed into a cr0wd of pedestrians in East Oakland have been released
OAKLAND, Calif. – Three pedestrians were killed and several others were hurt when a car rammed into them late Saturday night in East Oakland. What we know: The crash happened at about 11:15 p.m. in the area of International Boulevard and 85th Avenue. A witness said the incident began with a collision between a blue vehicle and […]
East Oakland Horror: Authorities have named the three victims k!lled when a car cr@shed into a cr0wd of people walking nearby
OAKLAND, Calif. – Three pedestrians were killed and several others were hurt when a car rammed into them late Saturday night in East Oakland. What we know: The crash happened at about 11:15 p.m. in the area of International Boulevard and 85th Avenue. A witness said the incident began with a collision between a blue vehicle and […]
Desperate Plea: Kouri Richins’ lover begged for one thing during her sentencing hearing, but everyone in the courtroom reportedly sh00k their heads
Kouri Richins prepares to speak at her sentencing Wednesday at 3rd District Court in Park City, Utah. Trent Nelson/Pool/The Salt Lake Tribune/AP Before a judge sentenced Kouri Richins for fatally poisoning her husband, the couple’s three young sons made their feelings clear. They urged Judge Richard Mrazik to sentence their mother – who two of […]
End of content
No more pages to load









