A Georgia teacher has died after a student prank went horribly wrong. Jason Hughes, 40, a maths teacher and coach at North Hall High School, was struck by a pickup truck after tripping in the street late on Friday, March 6.
According to the Hall County Sheriff's Office, a group of teenagers arrived at Hughes's home close to midnight to wrap his trees with toilet paper, a tradition during prom season. As they began to leave, Hughes came out of his house. One teen drove off in a pickup truck, and Hughes tripped and fell into the road, where he was run over.
The teens stopped and tried to help until emergency responders arrived. Hughes was taken to a hospital but died from his injuries. The driver, an 18-year-old, was charged with first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving. Four other teens face misdemeanour charges of criminal trespassing and littering.
Hughes's family has urged authorities to drop all charges, stating that he knew and loved the students involved. 'This is a terrible tragedy, and our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy from occurring, ruining the lives of these students,' the family said in a statement. 'This would be counter to Jason’s lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of these children.'
The Hall County school system had posted a warning against prom-season pranks just one day before the incident. The school's football coach, Sean Pender, remembered Hughes as a man of deep faith who 'simply loved people well.' A makeshift memorial of flowers has been placed outside the school.
