A Georgia prosecutor has decided to drop charges against a teenager who police say was driving the truck that hit and killed a beloved high school teacher when a prank turned deadly, the teen’s attorney said. The victim’s family had urged authorities not to aggravate the tragedy by prosecuting the teenage driver and his friends.
40-year-old teacher Jason Hughes died after slipping and falling in the street when teenagers began walking away after taking part in a community tradition of pranking teachers by throwing toilet paper onto the front lawn.
The students stopped and rendered aid to Hughes until emergency services arrived.
Hughes was taken to the hospital and died on March 6, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said.
The 18-year-old driver, Jayden Ryan Wallace, who his attorney said adored Hughes and considered him a mentor, was arrested on a felony charge of vehicular manslaughter, and four other teens were charged with misdemeanors.
A lawyer representing Wallace, Graham McKinnon, said Friday that charges against his client had been dropped. McKinnon said prosecutors also dropped misdemeanor charges against the four other teens who were there.
The students went to Hughes’ home around 11:40 p.m. on March 6 and began wrapping his trees in toilet paper, the sheriff’s office said. The teens began to leave as Hughes exited; The teacher’s family said they had heard about the prank in advance and hoped to surprise the students.
McKinnon said Wallace and his friends were playing a “competitive game” that has long been a tradition at North Hall High School.
“In the end, there was no crime, just an extremely sad and devastating accident,” McKinnon said in a statement.
The vehicular manslaughter charges, he said, were meaningless because Jaden did not use his car in an unsafe or inappropriate manner.
“Jaden is still deeply grieving, but is ultimately determined to move on and live his life in a way that will make Coach Hughes proud.”
Hughes, who taught math and helped coach golf, football and baseball at North Hall High School in Gainesville, was a “mentor” to Wallace, McKinnon said.
“I am committed to living the rest of my life in a way that honors Coach Hughes’ memory by exemplifying Christ,” Wallace said in a statement released by his family Wednesday. “It will never be forgotten.”
Hughes’ family had issued a statement saying they knew and loved the five students involved and urging authorities to drop all charges against them.
“This is a terrible tragedy and our family is determined to prevent another tragedy from happening that ruins the lives of these students,” Hughes’ family said. “This would go against Jason’s lifelong dedication to investing in the lives of these children.”
