The family of a Georgia maths teacher who died after being struck by a car during a student prank has said he would not have wanted the teenagers to face charges. Jason Hughes, 40, slipped on wet concrete and fell into the road as he went to greet five students outside his home on Thursday night.
Hughes, a father of two, was reportedly excited to catch the students in the act of a traditional prom prank involving toilet paper. His brother-in-law confirmed there was no confrontation, and that Hughes slipped due to rain. The students were driving away when one of them, Jayden Ryan Wallace, 18, struck and killed him.
Wallace was arrested and charged with first-degree vehicular homicide, reckless driving, criminal trespass, and littering. Four other students—Elijah Tate Owens, Aiden Hucks, Ana Katherine Luque, and Ariana Cruz, all 18—were charged with criminal trespass and littering. All have since been released on bail.
Hughes's wife, Laura, who also teaches at North Hall High School, has called for all charges to be dropped. 'This is a terrible tragedy, and our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy from occurring, ruining the lives of these students,' she said. 'This would be counter to Jason's lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of these children.'
His brother, Richard, echoed the sentiment, telling the Daily Mail: 'He would hate this for everyone involved.' The Hall County School District had earlier warned students against harmful pranks, just hours before the incident.
