A Georgia prosecutor has dropped charges against an 18-year-old driver involved in the death of a teacher during a prank gone wrong, the teen's lawyer confirmed. Jayden Ryan Wallace had been facing a felony charge of vehicular homicide after Jason Hughes, 40, slipped and fell into the path of Wallace's truck.
The incident occurred on 6 March when Wallace and four other students went to Hughes's home in Gainesville to throw toilet paper on his lawn, a local tradition. Hughes, who had been forewarned, came outside as the teens were leaving. He slipped on the roadway and was struck by the vehicle. The students stopped and rendered aid until emergency services arrived, but Hughes later died in hospital.
Wallace's lawyer, Graham McKinnon, said on Friday that all charges against his client and the four other teens had been dropped. McKinnon stated the death was a 'devastating accident' and that Wallace had not been driving unsafely. 'In the end, there was no crime – only an extremely sad and devastating accident,' McKinnon said in a statement.
Hughes's family had publicly urged prosecutors not to compound the tragedy by prosecuting the students. '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. They noted that Hughes knew and loved the five students involved.
Wallace, who regarded Hughes as a mentor, expressed his grief in a statement: 'I pledge to live out the remainder of my life in a manner that honours the memory of Coach Hughes by exemplifying Christ. He will never be forgotten.' Hughes taught maths and coached golf, football and baseball at North Hall High School.
